Out of the Shadows
by Ash Darklighter
Summary: Post Bakura AU LM. Luke Skywalker struggles to come to terms with the legacy he's been given and the destiny he must have and leaves the Alliance to continue his training.
1. Chapter 1

**Out of the Shadows**

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The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. The opening scene is from Kathy Tyers novel, The Truce at Bakura and if you are looking for a timeline and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. Thank you so much to Rhea for helping me finally give this story a name. This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list.

Ash Darklighter

**Part 1**

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**_Millennium Falcon_**** – in orbit above the planet Bakura**

Luke Skywalker stood in the primary airlock of the _Millennium Falcon _gazing impassively at the body of Dev Sibwarra. It had all been in vain – he hadn't managed to save the boy. Luke's mouth tightened. Dev had been captured and brainwashed at a vulnerable age into doing his captor's bidding. It hadn't been Dev's fault. He hadn't been aware of the evil he had helped to perpetrate; he thought that he was doing good. It wouldn't be the first time, nor the last, that innocent souls were tainted by such darkness. Dev had at least died at peace, washed clean by the light side of the Force, but that didn't make Luke feel much better. He should never have died at all. Luke knew that he should have been able to do more.

His fingers brushed the soft blue shawl that Chewbacca had wrapped around the dead boy's head and shoulders - the shawl he'd been offered by Gaeri… He didn't want to think of her with her strange, mis-matched eyes and how soft her lips had felt against his. His starving heart could have loved her so easily. Gaerial Captison had been born and educated to serve her world, Bakura. She had to help her people move out from under the yoke of Imperial tyranny and into a new freer existence. She wanted that more than a potential relationship with a half-trained Jedi Knight or poorly paid rebel commander. What did he have to offer her? His was still a life on the run. The Alliance had won a battle, not the entire war. No, Gaeri was already in his past and she would stay there.

"I didn't mean to fail you," he whispered to the boy's cold, unresponsive form. "If I'd only known more, you might have lived. I could have saved you…helped to train you to become a Jedi." He stopped, the twist of his mobile mouth bitter. "Who am I trying to fool?" he muttered. "I'm a half-trained Jedi, more dangerous than an untrained one." Luke bowed his head for a moment and when he lifted it, he had regained the unnatural calm he'd worn about him since the battle of Endor where his father... His _father!_ Luke abruptly ceased that train of thought. He didn't want to think about Anakin Skywalker right now. Too many deaths…Dev, his father, Obi-Wan, Biggs… 'No!' he thought, as he felt his whole body tremble. 'Control,' he told himself again. 'You must learn control.' But he could still see Dev's scarred face as he died and his father's… Luke tried to swallow as he pushed the invasive memories away but his throat was dry. He couldn't let them surface. It would shatter the control he was fighting so hard to keep.

"The Force was strong in you, Dev Sibwarra," Luke intoned solemnly. "Be at peace."

"Ready, Luke?" Leia Organa's voice echoed through the _Falcon's _com system.

Luke drew himself up, his chest rising, his head lifting proudly. "I'm ready," he answered, his voice steady. "I have to be," he added quietly, so quietly that no one could overhear the apprehension in his speech. He moved stiffly from the airlock, his bearing that of a soldier, a fighter. No one could ever dispute that Luke Skywalker wasn't a coward or a weakling – he had proved himself when it mattered, time and time again. He'd led this hastily assembled battle group to Bakura and it was because of him and his friends that the alien Ssi-Ruuk had been defeated. Yes, their mission had been a success but it had had its price. He gave a final glance back at the body in the airlock as the hatch closed with a loud hiss.

"Wait…" Quickening his strides, he made his way to his customary seat behind Chewie in the _Falcon's _cockpit and sat, his eyes fixed determinedly out of the main viewport.

Concerned at her brother's distant manner, Leia glanced at Han who shrugged. He knew what she was thinking. It couldn't be easy for the Kid right now. He'd been through a lot in a very short time – they all had. Luke had managed in his own peculiar way, despite almost getting himself killed, to pick up another helpless waif. Han had wondered if Luke had considered what he was doing when he'd rescued the boy from the Ssi-Ruuvi cruiser. Sibwarra had come with a lot of messy baggage attached to his psyche but Luke hadn't seen that. As usual, he had only seen the potential for good, the chance that he could help ease the boy's pain and what Dev Sibwarra could have been if he had survived. Dev hadn't made it. His injuries had been far too severe and his soul too scarred from the pain and shame of his past. This was his funeral and Luke Skywalker his only real mourner. There was no one else who cared enough to see beyond the fragile shell of his life.

Just Luke.

"Ready, Kid?" Han asked carefully.

"Yeah."

"Okay, we're good to go." Han pulled the hatch release and then accelerated the _Falcon _away from the lushly green world of Bakura. The body of Dev Sibwarra vanished forever in a bright burst of flame.

"Luke…" Leia stretched out her hand to her brother, her face warm with the compassion he loved. She hadn't understood Luke's need to save Dev but had recognised that her brother was hurting. This new awareness of their relationship and what it meant was still a revelation to her. She could actually feel his pain through the Force; otherwise she couldn't have guessed that it ran so deeply. "It's not shameful to feel sad, Luke. You have to let it go."

"I will." He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze but she could tell that he'd erected a shield in his mind to keep her out.

"I think I'll go and lie down for a while," he said quietly.

Han nodded. "Good idea, Kid. You look like hell."

"Han!" Leia exclaimed, horrified, while Chewie snickered. "That's not tactful."

Luke's sunny grin almost appeared but he was too weary, his face white and drawn. "Thanks, Han, you're _too_ kind. But it's the truth."

"You ever known me to be anything but truthful?" Han quipped lazily.

"Ah…" Luke hesitated. "You have your moments. If you don't need me for anything…?" He waited for Han's reaction. The Corellian shook his head and Luke managed a tired smile. "Then I'll give in graciously. I just need to focus on my sketchy knowledge of self-healing for a bit."

"I'll come and help you get settled." Leia fussed over him quietly but still managed to glare at the back of Han's head. "As soon as we rejoin the fleet, I insist that you see 2-1B and have a proper medical examination."

"Good idea, Highnessness. You see that the Kid rests properly. It'll be a few more minutes before we're ready to make the jump to hyperspace."

"I'll be okay…"

"That Imperial medic said that you had to rest, Luke."

"Aw…Leia," Luke made one half-hearted protest because he knew she would expect it. "That's what I'm going to do – rest." He just wanted to hide away and sleep for a month or more. Too many things had happened, too many hurts, too many things that he wanted to totally forget. Meanwhile, the dark side was laughing at him from behind his shoulder…waiting for him…taunting him with its seductive power.

"Humour me, brother." Leia drew him from the cockpit and with her arm around his increasingly shaky frame, walked him to his bunk in the crew quarters.

The door slid silently closed behind Luke and Leia. Left alone, Chewie barked at Han, "The cub is doing far too much when not completely healed."

"Runs in the family," Han said with a frown. "Stubborn, the pair of them."

"He is not built with the strength of a Wookiee even though he has the heart of one. Han, my friend, he has not had time to grieve properly."

"For Sibwarra?"

Chewie growled disdainfully. "For his _father_. He has not been allowed to."

"Oh," Han busied himself with the _Falcon'_s controls for a moment, uneasy at the mention of the former Dark Lord. "Leia was having trouble back on Salis D'aar with the whole father issue."

"That's to be expected and she will not let Luke mourn. She has a different opinion of Vader."

Han snorted. "Yeah, she still sees him as Vader and Luke sees him as Anakin. Two very different views of the same guy. I'm with Leia on this one. I still remember how _Vader_ treated me on Bespin. It's hard to forget. But would you believe that on Bakura, Leia saw the ghost of her father? She saw him as Anakin. I think she shouted abuse at him or told him to go away. It could have been the stress of our last mission."

"She is of the Jedi. All things are possible," the Wookiee said gently.

Han shrugged. "They're all crazy but I can't believe old heavy-breathing ever could have fathered anyone, especially a gentle soul like Luke."

"The cub is not so gentle and you should know this by now. He deceives and that is the most dangerous of beings."

"He's just a kid."

"No, he's a man now."

"I would give quite a lot to see Luke again as we first met him. He's had to grow up far too fast."

"As you had to," Chewie reminded him.

"I didn't want that to happen to Luke. The funny thing is…" He glanced at his long time friend and partner. "Don't ever tell Leia I said this but…It's easier to think that Leia is Vader's daughter than Luke his son."

"Leia had Bail Organa and the rank and upbringing befitting a princess. She has the inbuilt arrogance of command which associates her to Vader at the height of his power but without the cruelty. Organa was her real father in everything but birth and once she lost him, the Alliance hierarchy took over the final part of her upbringing. Luke told us himself he was an outsider amongst his own contemporaries on Tatooine. He was always searching for a way to belong. Vader acknowledged Luke as his son."

"That was some chance picking up Luke and old Obi-Wan on the dustball," Han mused thoughtfully. "What would have happened if we hadn't met?"

"I suspect we might all be dead," growled the Wookiee.

"You called it, Chewie. Dead or as low as we could go. Still, Vader fathering Luke…" He broke off what he was saying and then shrugged. "Junior didn't get his father's height, did he?"

"Obviously not. The cub always longed for a real father and found him only to lose him. Luke has real strength inside. He came for you, my friend, never forget that. Without him you could still be alive yet dead to us."

"I would rather be dead than back in that carbon freeze. You can sometimes speak sense for an overly large fuzz ball," Han said mockingly. "I thought the Kid was fairly accepting of Vader as his father."

"I did not realise it at the time but he did have difficulty accepting who his father was. He changed drastically after you were taken from Bespin. We all thought it was because he had lost his hand and his friend."

"Stang!" Han swore. "And he didn't tell anyone either – did he." It wasn't a question.

"Luke found and lost Vader on the Death Star – a difficult thing to cope with for anyone who longs for a family. Vader was never Leia's to lose. She has to find him again and that is a whole lot harder."

"I forget how young they both are, Luke more so than Leia – straight off the farm with the sand still on him. He lost crazy old Ben Kenobi on a Death Star too. I forgot that." Han rubbed his face tiredly. "I thought Luke was alright at first when I came out of the carbon freeze. He'd changed…grown up a lot…but he's not alright, is he? He seems…"

"Driven?"

"Yeah." Han checked a destination reading on the navicomp. "Driven, distant…closed off from us all…"

"When he's ready he'll tell us." Chewbacca settled himself comfortably in the oversized co-pilot's chair. "Where are we heading?"

"Leia said that the fleet had regrouped near Annaj – the Modell Sector." His mouth twisted into his familiar lop-sided grin. "That's the great thing about this job - always travelling someplace new. I'll check the final co-ordinates once I make the next hyperspace jump. I should be able to get the exact location then."

"Endor is in the Modell Sector," the Wookiee barked gently.

"So we go back to where we started," Han muttered as he flipped the lever that took them into hyperspace. "'Least that giant ball bearing's gone now. No one will be shooting super lasers at us this time – I hope."

_"You will go to Dagobah and learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me…"_

"Dagobah…" Luke muttered restlessly in his sleep. "Yoda…must return. Don't leave me Ben…Ben!"

_"You must go back, Luke."_

"Can't go on alone."

_"Go back, Luke, and you won't be alone. A Jedi is never alone when he has the Force."_

"Alone…"

_"Sleep, youngling."_

"Go back…Dagobah…Yoda." Luke relaxed back into deep slumber, his strange dreams gone for the time being. Gone but not forgotten.

**Home One – Rebel ****Alliance**** Flagship**

Han landed the Falcon gently inside one of the great ship's docking bays. "That's us. I guess we'll need to check in with the powers that be?"

Leia nodded. "I'll go and wake up Luke. They'll want his report."

"He's still asleep? It's been nearly two days since I last spoke to him."

"Healing trance," Leia said. "He woke up several hours ago to eat. It's about time he did that again anyway and if we're disembarking..."

"Has he talked yet?"

Leia sighed, her brown eyes worried. "No. He kept muttering things under his breath but the only thing I could make out was Ben's name and that was while he was sleeping."

"He's still connected to that crazy old wizard?"

"I don't know."

"You don't _know?"_ Han echoed. "I thought this Force power was in you too."

"That's not fair, Han. I understand that I'm his sister and he says that I have the same power that he has but…" She stared out of the view port at the other battle-scarred ships lined up in the docking bay with the _Falcon._ They'd won a couple of battles. They hadn't won the war."The only real connection I'm aware of in all this Jedi talk is with Luke." She placed her hand against her heart. "I can feel him. Has the Force directed my thoughts and actions or is it a happy accident? You tell me, hotshot. You know as much about it all as I do." She unfastened her seat restraint and stood up, wincing a little as she stretched cramped muscles."I'll go and wake him." She hesitated for a moment and then leant over and kissed Han's cheek before swiftly heading to where Luke was asleep in the crew quarters.

Han and Chewie began to shut down the engines, flicking off switches with noisy satisfaction. The hum of the engines faded and died. "There, there, girl." Han gave the bulkhead an affectionate pat. "Bakura was a success but we still lost some good people," he said soberly. "There's always too much loss and destruction in this line of work."

Footsteps sounded on the metal deck plates and the cockpit door slid open. A sleepy Luke Skywalker, hair standing on end and rubbing his eyes like a child, wandered in slowly, followed by his sister.

"Hey, Junior!" Han greeted the younger man. "You're looking better."

"I feel better," Luke admitted wryly.

"I'd still like you to go and see 2-1-B," Leia insisted. "Once we're cleared by security. Just in case there's anything..."

"I'm fine. The healing trance worked," Luke said with a disarming smile but his sister wasn't fooled. He hated the medibay with a passion and if he could avoid going there, he would. "I'll probably need to have a medical at some point so I'll see the doc-droid then. First things first, I have to see Mon Mothma and Admiral Ackbar now."

"Right now?" Han asked.

"I would expect so." Immediately Luke's com began to beep insistently. "Skywalker!" he answered tersely.

"Commander Skywalker? Mon Mothma will see you in interview room 1."

"I copy." Luke's voice was clipped. "I'd better go." He kissed Leia's cheek and then picked up the bag containing his things. "They'll want to see you and _General_ Solo too."

"Probably." Leia's voice was dry. "I think the welcoming committee's already assembled."

"They know I'm here? Damn!" Han mumbled. Luke's use of his rank grated.

Mon Mothma smiled warmly at Luke as he walked into the meeting room she had commandeered as her office and saluted. "Sit down, Commander."

"Thank you." Luke sat on the edge of an uncomfortable looking chair.

Mon Mothma studied the young man before her. Since the very first time she had met him, he reminded her of someone she'd once known but she'd never been able to work out exactly who that was. She had known his father – not well - but Anakin had died when the Emperor and Darth Vader had instigated their annihilation of the Jedi. No, it was someone else but she couldn't sit wasting time when there was so much to do.

She had a very high regard for this young man. He had saved the Rebellion from certain destruction and paved the way for a better life for the galaxy. It was one of the things that pained her most about this war; Luke Skywalker was too young to have seen and done all that he had. She could see the knowledge and sadness in his eyes. She knew because every time she looked into a mirror she could see the same expression hiding in her own gaze. "Thank you for this report, Commander," she said, tapping the stack of data cards Luke had presented to her. "I would like to meet early tomorrow to discuss the situation in detail, if possible? You are sure Bakura is intent on joining the Alliance?"

Luke sought out her Force presence. It was reassuringly warm and deep, a testament to the woman she was. The destruction of the Death Star had given her a new lease of life. It had given them all new hope and Mon Mothma had been one of the inspirations that had sparked the flame of hope and kept it alive. He gave her a reassuring smile. "Prime Minister Captison assured me this was the case but that he would hold a referendum to let the people decide. Leia managed to draw up a draft treaty which the Bakurans are currently examining. That's more her area of expertise than mine," he admitted, beginning to tire again. "But the Senate was urging the people to accept the choice of the Alliance over the Empire. So the signs are positive."

"You should get some rest, Commander," Mon Mothma said, her face tinged with sympathy. "You've had little or no time to yourself since long before Endor."

"None of us have," Luke countered quietly, his voice steady. "I spent some time in a healing trance on the return journey."

"Another one? You should really learn not to be so reckless, Commander."

Luke shrugged and eyed her steadily. "It's an occupational hazard. When did _you_ last sleep soundly, Ma'am?"

"It's been a long time." Mon Mothma smiled sadly. "The last time I slept peacefully was the night before Palpatine declared himself Emperor."

"I can understand, Ma'am. You take great responsibility for the beings in the galaxy."

"But unlike you, I haven't been on active service. Commander…"

"No, just shouldering the burden of leadership."

"I chose to do it willingly. Commander Skywalker, and don't regret it. You must take some time to let some semblance of normality return to your life, otherwise the wounds will only fester. You have endured many things…"

"I recognise your arguments but it's hard to let go," he admitted. The President was right. He hadn't had time to come to terms with all the things that had happened to him. One minute he had been an innocent boy stuck on a Tatooine moisture farm and then a wanted rebel flying the galaxy, his life constantly in danger. He couldn't remember the last time he had stopped to think. No…he didn't want to think. Thinking brought back images of his father, of Dev – all the people he had failed to save.

"What is it, Luke?" Mon Mothma asked, concerned at the bleak expression on his face, using his first name instead of his rank.

"I want to resign my commission," he blurted out bluntly.

Mon Mothma gasped. Whatever she had expected, it certainly wasn't that. "What!"

"I want to resign my commission," he repeated. "I can't do both…"

"Both of what…?" she asked and then she understood. He had been trying to become a Jedi and fight for the Rebellion simultaneously. Both of these were full time occupations and now one was warring with his desire to follow the other.

"Why?" she queried, wanting to refuse and yet, seeing the pain and confusion visible on the young man's face, the dark shadows under his eyes, made her realise that he'd been tearing himself into pieces over something.

Luke stared down at his hands and clenched one of them tightly, his mouth twisting just a little. "I have my reasons."

"Can you not tell me what they are?" the former senator of Chandrila asked carefully. "We do not want to lose you, Luke. Have you discussed this with Princess Leia?"

Luke lifted his head. "I haven't said anything to Leia, yet." He wondered what Mon Mothma would say if she knew about he and Leia's newly discovered relationship and the true identity of their father. He wasn't ready yet to divulge that piece of information to anyone beyond what he considered his family circle and Leia certainly wasn't. He wondered if Leia would ever be ready.

"You do not think she would approve?"

"I am one of the last of the Jedi but I am only half-trained. It will become my duty to see that the Jedi Order is reborn and can survive in a changing galaxy. The Emperor and Lord Vader are dead and thus the main obstacle to the Jedi is gone but it won't be that simple. There's nothing left. I have no records of the way the Jedi were trained. I'm not sure how to find new Jedi. There must be more Force sensitives than just me and my… I cannot do it without more training. I cannot help the Alliance if I am only partially trained. I must finish my training. I promised I would."

Mon Mothma steepled her fingers together and placed them under her chin. "We would like to see the Jedi return to the galaxy, Commander Skywalker," she agreed, her face composed but inside her mind was ticking. He said '_one of the last of the Jedi.'_ Who else is there? To my knowledge, none of the other Jedi survived the purges apart from Obi-Wan Kenobi and he died on the first Death Star."

"I thrive on leading Rogue Squadron but that's not what I was born to do. I have a duty to the people who kept me safe and hidden from harm. Other people can lead the Rogues. Wedge Antilles would be a brilliant Commander – he's filled in for me many times before. Only _I_ can help the Jedi now."

"I can see that you've thought long and hard about this."

"I have. I'm not turning my back on the Rebel Alliance but I have to go. Time is running out."

"I don't understand."

Luke closed his eyes; he had almost said too much. If he let slip Yoda's continuing existence they would not leave him in peace. "I only ask that you let me go and give me any information collected on the Jedi that the Alliance currently has in its possession."

"When would you like to go?"

"I will stay another week. It will give me time to explain to Leia and Han – I have an idea that that will be the more difficult task. If the Alliance does ever need me I will find out and I _will_ come to your aid. You have my word as a Jedi and as a friend."

"I appreciate that _Jedi_ Skywalker," Mon Mothma replied. "And I accept your resignation even though I don't really want to. I suspect it would have made no difference."

"No," Luke smiled sadly. "It wouldn't but it's better this way."

"Do you know where you are going?" Mon Mothma was curious. Luke had disappeared after the battle of Hoth and had returned minus his right hand a few weeks later after a confrontation with Darth Vader on Bespin. He had never explained exactly where he had been or what he had been doing but there had been an obvious change in the man. He had fought Vader and lived but somewhere, somehow, Luke Skywalker's soul had been forever wounded.

"Yes, I know but I can't tell you. I have a promise to fulfil to an old friend. There are no cities or technology there to aid in finding me. I will be unobtainable and undetectable."

"So how will you know when we need you?"

"The Force," Luke said simply. "I can read some of the shifting patterns it contains within it quite well now. I will sense if I'm needed."

"What about Princess Leia and General Solo?"

"I cannot tell them exactly where I'm going. Leia would want me with her, or would come to find me and the way is too difficult and she's too important to the Alliance right now. For one thing, she and Han need time to themselves and for the other, she is not ready to travel the way of the Jedi. I will return – you have my promise." He saluted and moved to the exit, then paused. "I would ask you not to say anything to Leia until I have a chance to inform her myself and also to keep it quiet amongst the rest of the Alliance leadership until I have gone."

"Of course."

"I don't want to announce my departure. We do have our fair share of Imperial spies, after all. If people ask, you could say I'm away on a mission. It happens all the time."

"It's the truth."

"From a certain point of view, yes, I guess it is – my life's mission." Luke stared down at the grey deck plates and gave a nod as if making some sort of final decision. He then swivelled on his black booted heel and left the room.

"Princess Leia…not ready to travel the way of the Jedi?" Mon Mothma said slowly to the empty room. "Oh."


	2. Part 2

**Out of the Shadows**** – Part 2**

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This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Rhea Jedi-Knight. They are a superb group of ladies and inspirational writers. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for a timeline and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks also to Niqella and Michele.

**Leia Organa's Quarters – Home One**

Han Solo narrowed hazel eyes and fixed them out of the tiny viewport in Leia's cabin but saw nothing of the stars and ships there as they buzzed around the massive Calamarian cruiser like busy insects. "He's up to something."

"Who is up to something?" Leia sat at the tiny vanity unit, brushing her hair free of its confines.

"The Kid. He's got something on his mind. I know that sneaky, smart-mouthed Jedi brother of yours too well, Highnessness." Han leaned back on the bunk, gave a wriggle and squashed Leia's pillow into a more comfortable shape.

"I…"

"Come on, Leia." Han's voice was barbed. "You must sense something's up. Use this Force that Luke says you've got."

Leia chewed on her lip, her expression worried. "I'm not sure. I'm new to this Jedi experience – new to the whole idea of it. I told you before - I don't know if what I sense is the Force or if it's all a lie. I'm trying to second guess myself and I don't like it." She placed the brush on the unit and crossed to the bed, slipping in beside him.

Han looked contrite. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I find it hard to see the Kid dealing with all this mumbo-jumbo and now you tell me it's part of you too. Forget all that and just use your common sense – your woman's intuition. You got by fine on it before without giving it a fancy name."

"He's been…unhappy, I guess." Leia confirmed her own unease as she said the words aloud. Luke hadn't been happy in a long time. Not since he'd found out who he was and who his…_their_…father was. "He's upset with me because I won't accept Vader as my father." Han pulled her to him and she lay in the circle of his arms, just accepting his closeness. She loved this man, this scoundrel of hers. "He's distancing himself from me," Leia admitted with a slight sense of shock. "His mind is busy but with what, I don't know."

"When do the Rogues fly out?"

Leia shook her head. "I don't know that either – General Madine didn't say. I'm surprised they're not out on patrol as it is but I guess they need a bit of down time too. They've been in the thick of the fighting as usual, first Endor, and then straight onto Bakura with us."

Han sighed. "I think the doc-droid put his wheels down and insisted Luke take several days leave."

"What!"

"Just something I overheard."

"And Luke didn't tell us?" Leia's face was a picture of consternation. She sat up and stared down at Han.

"We've barely seen him since we got back from Bakura. He's in meetings with Mon Mothma and Ackbar all the time and when he's not…" Han shrugged and spread his hands out. "He's become rather secretive."

"I wish he'd told us."

"What could we do?"

"Nothing but…"

"Luke hates being fussed over."

"He does, doesn't he? I wish he would let me look after him for once. At least 2-1B got hold of him. He hasn't mastered this self-healing ability apparently." Leia grabbed the extra quilt from the bottom of the bunk and pulled it over them both, snuggling into Han's strong frame. "It's nice to just all be together but I get the feeling it won't last long."

Han pulled the quilt more securely around them both and dropped a kiss on Leia's head. "We'll take what we can get."

It could only have been a couple of hours later that Leia opened her eyes and began to count the rivets welded into the ceiling above her head. She noticed idly that one was missing. So much for the individual workmanship of the Mon Calamari. Han snored gently next her, his body warm and comforting as his chest rose and fell with each breath. With a sensation of daring, Leia reached out to where she thought Luke was. Her eyes widened as she felt the warm spot in what must be the Force that signified Luke. Already she'd grasped the technique of seeking out his familiar presence from all the others on board the ship. This was more than just Luke calling out to her back on Bespin through sheer desperation. That awful period when she'd lost Han and nearly lost Luke seemed such a long time ago but was actually less than a year. Her brother was still awake. She could feel his restless mind and she had the impression that he wanted to talk to her but was worried about her reaction to his plans.

_'Plans! What plans?'_

Definitely wide awake, Leia eased from her bed without disturbing Han, grabbed the serviceable grey belted coverall she'd been wearing earlier and slipped it on. She wondered how Han could tell what Luke was thinking without the Force – but he could. He could see straight through the fledgling Jedi as if he was made of transparisteel. She glanced admiringly at her sleeping lover. The shrewd scoundrel had hit the nail right on the head with the vibrohammer. Her newly-discovered brother was up to something.

Leia's quarters were close to the war cabinet rooms and the main bridge of the Mon Calamarian cruiser, whereas Luke was housed with the other Rogue Squadron pilots close to the hangar bays and their ships. Silently slipping from her cabin, Leia headed along the dimly lit corridor until she reached the nearest turbo lift. Although there were enough beings serving on board a ship this size to keep it running for every minute of every hour in a day, Admiral Ackbar and the other Alliance leaders liked to assign a day and night shift. Leia had guessed years ago that it was set to the time of the Galactic capital, Coruscant. This was the time when most of the humans were undertaking their sleep cycle. It made it appear as if one day they would be welcome there.

"Hangar deck," Leia spoke clearly as she entered the lift. The ride only took a few moments.

The doors slid silently open and as she exited, two Verpine mechanics hurried to catch the lift before the door closed. 'Ah', she thought, surprised even though she should not have been that the Verpines were prepping the ships for the pilots' next duty shifts.

The guard at the monitoring station gave her a deferential nod as she passed. The corridor containing the pilots' quarters was quiet, the lounge area empty. They were either out on patrol or sleeping. There seemed to be very little down time for the pilots these days despite being on a ship that could hold at least five thousand beings. But then again, they were still at war. Winning at Endor had only allowed them some breathing space until the Empire regrouped, which it would do regardless of Palpatine's death. She moved along checking door numbers until she came to Luke's. He was a Jedi; he should know that she was there, she thought but out of habit she lifted her hand and pressed it against his announcer.

"Come." Luke's voice bade her enter. "Leia!" he said, surprised at her entrance.

"Didn't you know I was coming?" She took in the tiny room and felt a little ashamed that her cabin was more than three times the size of his. A casually dressed, bare-footed, tousled-haired Luke lay on his narrow bed surrounded by data cards and actual books. He'd obviously been studying. This was a side of Luke that she hadn't really seen – or he hadn't let her see. She knew the fighter pilot and reckless farmboy better than the studious Jedi. He looked so young.

"How would I know…oh, the Force?" Luke asked, his smile warm, as he placed the data pad on the locker beside his bed. "No. I knew you were awake and I could tell you were thinking hard but…"

"You were reading."

"I can read, you know. I know my schooling wasn't as fancy as yours but I did graduate early." Luke hid his smirk, watching as she rose beautifully to the bait. Leia wasn't a snob and was conscious of the difference in their upbringings but every so often he and Han liked to tease her about it.

Leia's eyes widened indignantly. "I wasn't suggesting that your education was in any way inferior to mine. You achieved enough marks to win an Imperial Academy place."

"I did but they would never have let me go there."

"They…?"

"My aunt and uncle and possibly even Obi-Wan and Yoda. Although…" Luke tapped his chin contemplatively. "Uncle Owen wouldn't have had a Jedi on the premises even to help keep me there. He ran Ben off with his blaster rifle once. I don't know how he would have reacted to Master Yoda."

"Probably in the same way," Leia said thoughtfully, remembering the way Luke had described his uncle to her. Luke had mentioned Yoda a couple of times before – his Jedi Master. He'd gone to some secret hideaway to train with the aged Jedi after the battle of Hoth, only returning because he had sensed Han and Leia's danger on Bespin, not realising that it was a trap laid by Vader.

After the encounter with the Dark Lord of the Sith, Luke had been a changed man. He had lost his hand in the fight with Vader and seemed to be carrying a terrible secret. Leia swallowed. She now knew what secret Luke had been keeping to himself; part of her wished that he had never divulged the awful truth.

Her brother had disappeared again after they'd rescued Han from Tatooine and had admitted that he'd found the old Master gravely ill. Luke hadn't mentioned Yoda since he'd returned to the Alliance after the second Death Star had been destroyed. Leia assumed that the old Jedi had died and it was too painful for Luke to talk about it on top of everything else that had happened to him. She frowned. These people - his aunt, uncle and Ben Kenobi - had been hiding Luke. If he'd gone to Raithal – to the Imperial academy, he wouldn't have exactly been concealed. He was a brilliant pilot and an inspired leader – no, his talent would have been discovered and with it, his identity. Leia considered what might have happened and shivered. "No, I don't suppose they would have let you go. It might have been dangerous for you."

"And I never see and experience danger being part of the Rebel Alliance, do I?" He gave a mischievous grin. "I suspect that my Uncle Owen wouldn't have wanted me to fight for the Rebellion either."

Leia chuckled. She saw so little of his quirky sense of humour these days. They hadn't had much to laugh about. But now and then, he reminded her that his sharp wit was still very much in evidence. "No, of course not. Such a safe organisation. You were going to offer me a caf?"

"Was I? You drink too much of that stuff," Luke admonished. "That's Han's bad influence upon you. No wonder you weren't sleeping. Where is the old pirate?"

"Sleeping," she said succinctly. "He and Chewie have been doing things to the _Falcon_ all day – something about rewiring one of the older modifications to the navicomp."

"Uh-oh!" Luke winced. "Doesn't that worry you?"

Leia rolled her eyes. "He wants the ship to be ready if we are needed to go anywhere in a hurry. He says she's still the fastest ship in the fleet."

Luke shook his head, his smile widening proudly. "Then she is." He got off the bunk and smoothed the quilt, motioning his sister to have a seat while he prepared a caf for her and a stim tea for himself.

"The Empire is in a state of total confusion."

"The power struggle gives us a little time to get our act together," said Luke, handing her steaming mug.

"Yes, but we can't have that long. Intelligence cites several star destroyers as not having been present at Endor."

"That's worrying." Luke frowned into his mug of tea.

"We also had many losses and we have far fewer resources than the Empire does. We have agents in place on Coruscant but it's too dangerous to contact them until things have settled down – that's if they ever do. There are still prices on all our heads."

He pressed his hands around the warm mug. "The agents know what they're doing – that's their jobs. Leia…"

"Luke…"

They spoke simultaneously. "You first," Luke said, sitting back down on the bed, leaning his weary body against the headboard. He needed to get some sleep tonight too but first he had to tell Leia.

"I just want to know what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong," Luke automatically denied.

"Yes there is, I can feel…" Leia clenched and unclenched her hands. "I don't know what I feel."

"Neither do I," Luke whispered softly. He'd been delaying the inevitable for too many days and he _had_ to tell her. Now was as good a time as any. "Leia…"

The Alderaanian princess lifted her head and gazed solemnly at her brother. "Tell me," she commanded gently.

"Sweet sister. This is the second time I've had to say something like this to you."

"The second time?"

"The first time was in the Ewok village on Endor when I finally told you that you were my sister and that Vader was..." Luke's shoulder's slumped as he watched Leia's expression shutter and grow cold. He let out a deep sigh. She still hadn't truly accepted who she was and by doing so denied him the right to his own identity. But he wouldn't press her on it this time, not when their remaining time together was so short. "I've resigned my commission and I'm leaving. Wedge will take over my duties as the official leader of Rogue Squadron. He was leading them in all of the last few operations. It's time I gave Wedge his chance. He's leader in all but rank and title. He deserves it."

"What!" The colour drained from Leia's face.

"Rest assured I'm not going off to face the Emperor or Vader – I can't do that any more seeing as both are now one with the Force." The feeble joke fell flat.

"Then where are you going, what are you going…?" her voice rose.

"I have to finish my training," Luke said quietly, not meeting her eyes. "I cannot continue to be a half-trained Jedi. I'm more dangerous like this to myself and to you and the Alliance."

"That's not true. Your power in the Force is truly amazing. Surely you can learn just as much with us," Leia cried.

He indicated the piled books and data readers. "No, I cannot." He was inflexible. "This is not enough for me."

"Have you told anyone else?"

"Mon Mothma."

"Just Mon Mothma?"

He nodded. "She accepted my resignation and understood why I have to go. Ackbar will be told once I've left the ship. I was about to find you and then tell Wedge. Congratulate him."

"Then it's not too late to change your mind. We can give you time…make sure you are not sent out on so many missions."

"That won't work, Leia. I need more than that."

"It must – it has to. I know…I forbid you to go. In fact, I'll make it an order." But Leia knew she was being unfair and her head dropped. "I'm sorry, Luke," she whispered.

Luke's voice gentled. "Leia… It's inevitable that we'll be parted. You cannot order me around. I'm no longer part of the Alliance military – I resigned. I'm a private citizen and I will go. You cannot stop me. Don't make it any harder than it is." He leant forward and rubbed his hand across his forehead, massaging the temples as pain began to throb insistently.

"But _why_ must you do this?"

His hand dropped away from his face. "Because I _must_. If I'd known more I could have saved Dev."

"You don't know that for certain."

"No, but I'm sure that I did not know enough to try everything that could be tried. The future is always in motion after all."

"It would have been difficult for Dev…if he'd lived."

"I know but that is life – it's supposed to be difficult. I've never found it to be easy. So often I go for the quick fix or the instant cure. I have very little patience – just like my father." His mouth compressed into a flat line. "If I'd stayed longer…learned more…then he might have lived. I will never know but I will always wonder." Luke leant forward and took Leia's capable, small hands in his. "I know you don't totally understand my reasons but you're strong and you have Han. I will return. When I have finished my training I will return. I have _you_ to teach."

"Me?"

"Yes. I said that the Force ran strong in our family and that you would learn to use it as I had."

"You did say that," Leia recollected slowly. "In the Ewok village before you left to face Vader."

"Our father," Luke insisted quietly. It meant so much to him that she accepted who they both were but she wasn't ready. He didn't want to admit to himself that she might never be ready. "I want to do this right. I want to be able to teach you properly. My finishing the training will help me do that. The Force is strong within you, Leia."

"Who…How will you finish your training?" she asked. "I thought you were the last of the Jedi?

"No, I'm to be the first of the new when Master Yoda becomes one with the Force. He is still with us, strong in mind and spirit but frail in body. I have to be able to rebuild the Jedi but I'm not yet ready to undertake such a task."

"Yoda is still alive?" Leia sat up.

"Yes, but I fear his time with us is short. I have to go to him – I have made my choice."

"If he's sick, we have healers. We could cure him. He could train you with us."

Luke shook his head. She didn't understand the need for peace. He could never concentrate and they would not leave him alone. There would always be another mission, another crisis. "He neither wants nor needs that, Leia. I don't think he's even fit enough to travel. The world he lives on is rich with life and strong with the Force. I think it would kill him to leave."

Leia's face fell. "I see. I'm trying to understand why you must go and I suppose I do."

"During the Old Republic, children were taken from their homes for training as babies."

"That's what happened to us in a way wasn't it?"

"I suppose it was," Luke whispered. "To keep us alive."

"I accept your offer of training when the time is right. I don't have time right now, so perhaps it's just as well that your training is incomplete. By the time I'm ready you'll be practically a Master." She swallowed. "What are you going to say to Han?"

Luke hunched his shoulders. "I don't know. He won't understand."

Leia twisted her pretty mouth worriedly. "He might – then again... I'll tell him. He will accept it more easily if it comes from me."

Luke's face showed his doubt. "I should do it myself."

"When are you planning to go?"

Luke's eyes fell away from hers and he gestured around his bare quarters and at the packed bags lying on the floor next to the wall that she hadn't noticed. "Tomorrow."

"So soon?"

"My time here is running short – I have to go. Admiral Ackbar plans to move the fleet to a more secure location within the next forty-eight hours. We're still too close to Endor. If the Imperial fleet regroups as soon as Ackbar's reports indicate and we're still here, we're in trouble. They know exactly where we are and we're not ready to defend ourselves. My destination is several days travel from here but too far from where the Admiral plans to locate the battle group."

"Where are you going?"

Luke shook his head. "I cannot tell you."

"But surely we can contact you?"

"No, you cannot. There are no cities or technology where I'm going."

"No cities or technology." Leia echoed. "What kind of place has no beings?"

"A good place to hide. It has massive amounts of life forms – beings aplenty. You must ask Artoo about that sometime."

"But I don't want to lose you."

"You won't. I'll keep in touch."

"Promise?" she begged.

"I give you my word – as a Jedi."

Leia got slowly to her feet. "I'd better let you get some rest. Will I see you …before you go?"

"Of course but I'm leaving early."

"Were you planning on getting any sleep tonight, brother?"

Luke stood up, his hands coming up to lightly grasp Leia's shoulders. "I was but you came to visit and I'd rather have that."

"Oh, Luke," Leia said helplessly.

"I'll be taking Artoo with me and I wondered…"

"If Han and I would keep Threepio with us?"

Luke nodded. "You usually do. He wouldn't understand at all and where I'm going, there's no need for a protocol droid – especially one with Threepio's sensibilities." He bent his head and gently kissed Leia's forehead. "Go back to your quarters. You need your rest too." He walked with her to the door and then stood and watched her as she made her way back towards the guard station and the turbolift.

"Okay, Artoo," Luke instructed, stifling a yawn. "Check all systems and finish the complete diagnostic that I asked you to do."

"Let me help you, Boss."

"Wedge!" Luke turned around and stared at the grave face of his friend and colleague. "You're the 'Boss' now."

"Perhaps, but to me, Luke, you will always be my Commander. Do you begrudge me the chance to help you check your ship for the last time before you take off?"

Luke swallowed, more moved than he cared to admit. "I appreciate that, Wedge. Once I've finished my training, I will return to help the Alliance. You may even let me fly again with you. I have it on good authority that I'm a reliable wingman."

"That would be good." Wedge's dark eyes spoke volumes. He hadn't forgotten Luke saving his life just after Endor. He'd nearly been space dust. The two men completed their assessment and pre-flight checks on Luke's x-wing in silence. They'd said all they needed to say.

"Luke!" Leia's presence hit him just before she did as she threw herself into his arms.

"Hey!" he soothed. "It'll be alright." He lifted his head and stared over his sister's shoulders into the bleak face of Han Solo.

"When were you going to tell me, Kid?" Han's voice accused.

"Now." Luke winced as Han's feelings of hurt and bafflement hit his shields. He'd known that his friend wouldn't understand.

"This isn't where I could talk you out of another foolhardy stunt, Junior?"

"No. I have to go. That's why I didn't tell you. I couldn't risk the chance that you might be able to talk me out of it." He tightened his grip on his sister. "Force, I don't want to go." Hearing her quiet sobs was almost killing him. He couldn't recall the last time he'd heard Leia weep.

"Look how you've upset Leia," Han snapped. "No, you _don't_ have to go."

"Yes, I do," Luke argued back, just as determined to get his point across. "Remember back on Hoth when you had to go back to Jabba's and pay back what you owed?"

"I never actually got there," Han muttered. "That was part of the problem. But you don't owe anyone anything, Kid. Surely it must be the other way around."

"I owe the Jedi, Han. I have a debt to them."

"What kind of debt?"

Luke walked forward, keeping his arm around Leia and placed his hand on Chewie's arm. "A life debt. Look after him, Chewie. See that he doesn't do anything stupid."

The Wookiee growled in soft agreement.

"Me!" Han's voice nearly went off the scale. "I'm not the one that rushes into detention centres without any plans for getting out."

"No," Luke retorted. "You just followed me. Look after Leia, you old pirate," he said softly and, carefully disengaging himself from his sister, placed her into Han's arms. "There's no one else I'd entrust her to, you know that."

"I do," Han said. He felt totally helpless. Luke was leaving them all for the Jedi! The Kid would never survive on his own.

"I'll manage, Han. I will return when it's time. I'm not off to meet an evil Emperor and a Dark Lord of the Sith on this occasion."

"When will that be?"

Luke shrugged. "When the Force wills it."

Wedge stepped forward and saluted. "Clear skies, Boss."

"Thanks, Wedge."

"Be safe and well, Kid," Han said helplessly. He couldn't believe how much this was hurting him.

"Okay, Artoo. Fire up the converters." Luke stared at Leia and Han, his clear blue gaze saying all the things he couldn't voice.

It was then that they saw the change. His shoulders stiffened, his eyes seemed distant as if he was gazing on a horizon far from them all. It wasn't Luke Skywalker, the rebel fighter pilot that mounted the ladder and slipped into the x-wing's cockpit.

It was Luke Skywalker, the Jedi Knight.


	3. Chapter 3

**Out of the Shadows 3**

****

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline(?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks also to Rhea Jedi-knight for help with the title and Michele for adding in a clear sighted view.

Ash Darklighter

**Dagobah**

It was with a sense of coming home that Luke watched the mist enshrouded planet fill his view screen. "Okay, Artoo. I'll take her in on manual."

Artoo Detoo swivelled his little domed head and twittered a question roughly translated as, 'Are you sure you know what you're doing?'

"I know what I'm doing this time…up to a point." Luke's senses were already caught up with the massive teeming life on the hidden world below. He could also pinpoint the flickering presence of the being he was seeking. This was progress indeed.

Artoo blew an electronic raspberry of derision.

"I like that, Artoo. I landed perfectly well the last time too." Luke's voice was indignant. "My ship just sank the _first_ time. Set the approach vectors and then I'll do the rest. There's something in the atmosphere that makes the instruments go crazy. Your sensors are useless here; you have to remember that, Artoo. I had to fly in blind on that first occasion when we landed in the swamp. Now I can see."

Artoo whistled derisively.

"The Force, Artoo. It makes everything so clear." There was wonder in the young Jedi's voice. Wonder and not a little awe.

He was returning to Dagobah. He'd left all that he knew and loved and was willingly cutting himself off from his friends, family and the life he had known to complete his training as a Jedi Knight. It was one of the hardest sacrifices he'd ever had to make. Now that he'd found his sister, he didn't want to be without her again – her or Han. But he had a duty to the Jedi and to all the beings who had kept him and his sister safe. The choice, and therefore the sacrifice, had to be made. It wouldn't be forever, he told himself optimistically. By this time next year he would return.

Artoo began to chirp as the strange planet grew closer. "Okay, little fella. I'm on it."

Mysterious white vapour curled eerily from the tree-infested swamp as the x-wing lowered gently to land on solid ground. This time Luke's ship didn't sink into the mire but he let out the breath he hadn't realised that he was holding.

Artoo beeped quietly.

"So, I wasn't as confident as I made out," Luke muttered ruefully as the sound of the engine died into stillness. He relaxed into his leather seat for a moment, letting the tension slip slowly away from his body, before unfastening his harness. "Okay, Artoo - now to find Yoda. I should think he'd be expecting me by now."

He was surprised at first that Yoda was not waiting for him as he climbed out of the ship but Luke had tried to shield himself against discovery. He was effectively going to disappear from the galaxy until he considered the time was right, so a little practice never went amiss. Still, he'd never expected Yoda not to see through his shields. He turned to Artoo and levitated him out of the x-wing. "Careful there, Artoo. Remember what happened the first time we came here? Lucky you weren't easily digested."

The little droid tootled a pithy reply.

"I don't want you to come to harm, shortstuff. See any sign of Master Yoda yet?" The routine was strangely now as familiar to Luke as breathing. Land on strange planet, warn Artoo of the dangers and then wait for the local wildlife to show up. He'd been on enough worlds to learn. He finally relaxed his own tightly held shields and let his own essence mix with Dagobah's beating heart. Yoda would sense his presence immediately.

He grinned down at Artoo. "We could start unloading and then go and find Master Yoda."

Artoo beeped his agreement.

"Or he will find us first." Luke lifted his head as he sensed…something. But this time he was not unprepared for what he had to face and turned to meet the tiny being that stood behind him. "Master Yoda," Luke said bowing his head deferentially. He could remember his first mistaken impression of the Jedi Master and had learned not to rely on appearance alone. But this time he fought to keep his expression unchanged. Yoda had aged greatly in a mere few months and he'd looked old and unwell the last time Luke had seen him. There was a frailness about the old Jedi that worried Luke.

"Welcome, son of Skywalker. Why make that face you do?"

"What face?" Luke replied carefully.

Yoda shook his head. "See through you I do. I will not fade quite yet."

"You…fade? Never," Luke scoffed lightly, although his heart missed a beat at the thought of losing Yoda.

"When my time it is, fade I will. Tis part of the Force," Yoda pronounced with a far away expression in his eyes and then cackled, the familiar twinkle returning. "But not today. No…no…not today. Long way have you come, Luke. Hungry you must be."

Luke's face broke into a genuine smile. "You know me, Master. I'm always hungry."

Yoda nodded and Luke thought he paused as if he wanted to say something else. Yoda was a law unto himself and Luke knew that if he was to learn what Yoda wanted to tell him, he would have to practice his hard won patience and wait until the old Jedi was ready.

"Come, come. Soon food will ready be," Yoda urged brightly and hobbled off briskly towards his dwelling.

"Artoo, stay with the ship," Luke instructed the little droid. "I won't be long." Through the trees he could see the flickering light denoting the tiny window of Yoda's primitive home. "We have our own place to set up before the rain starts again."

"Hurry, Luke." Yoda's voice reached back to the young Jedi.

"I'm coming," he answered and headed after the diminutive being.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Master Yoda," Luke said softly, placing his spoon in his empty bowl and setting it aside. "Something is bothering you?" For a moment, Luke almost thought he had startled the little green being.

"Growing in strength are you, young Skywalker. Your prescience is keen. No, nothing is 'bothering me'. Think not I did that you would return."

"But I gave you my word," Luke said earnestly, wondering why Yoda was lying to him and perhaps more surprised that he had seen through the old Jedi's evasive words.

"Learned what you needed, had you. A Jedi are you now."

"A Jedi – a real Jedi?" Luke's face grew stiff. "No. I had learned enough to enable me to undertake the task that was mine as soon as you were aware of my existence – destroy the Emperor, and with him, Vader. I may be considered a Jedi Knight by the galaxy at large, and for that I thank you but…"

"Sorrow you feel?" Yoda's large luminous eyes seemed to see right through the young Jedi, stripping the layers away from the aching hurt he had tried so hard to conceal from all around him. "Fear and anger perhaps consume you?" the Jedi Master persisted. "Was Darth Vader worth all this emotion?"

Luke's mouth tightened and pain flashed across his visage. "He turned back to the good side at the end. Vader saved me and it was he who destroyed Palpatine – not me. There was still good in him. He regretted not having known me, his only son, but knowing me…killed him. He only learned about Leia…at the very end."

"Many evil acts he committed but would not have destroyed his Master unless you had been there. Good thing you did, son of Skywalker. Turned Vader back to the light. Impossible I thought this was. Doubt I had."

"He was still my father!" Luke clenched his black gloved fist. He'd been right; they had trained him to complete a task but not to shoulder the emotions that went with it. So many things had been taken from him and he needed to be strong and not let that affect him but he wasn't strong enough. Inside him was the small boy who had longed for his father. "I still…_loved_ him."

"A Jedi should not know love," Yoda declared resolutely.

Luke's chin lifted. "I disagree. Where has not being able to love got the Jedi? If you don't mind me saying it, you are alone on a swamp planet without friends or family."

"I'm not alone. With me you are." Yoda gave a merry cackle. "And I have the Force. A Jedi is never alone when he has the Force."

"Stop twisting things. You know very well what I mean." Luke's eyes grew bright with suppressed emotion. "I love my sister and my friends…Han, Chewie... Love is a strength and it was a weakness that made the Jedi disregard it."

Yoda sighed. "Told her you did."

Luke was unrepentant. "Yes, I told her. I never knew my real family. You denied me the chance to know my father. Would the Force begrudge me my sister? If I had to save them from Cloud City again knowing what my actions cost them and me, I would go again."

Yoda sighed. "Reckless."

"'A Jedi craves not excitement'…I know that one – you said it to me often enough. But I'm human with all the frailties of my species…"

"You are a Jedi Knight," Yoda insisted gruffly. "The last of the order are you. See the Jedi rise again you must."

Luke held out his hands in appeal. "I have not learned enough to pass on my knowledge to the next generation of Jedi. I don't feel like a real Jedi inside." He pounded at his chest with his clenched fist. "I worry that I would not be able to instruct others as you taught me. I worry that I could fail…Leia." Suddenly, the image of a woman he had never seen before flashed into his mind. She was fierce, yet beautiful, with hard green eyes and an abundant mane of fiery red curls. Who was she? Was she a possible Jedi? He tried to keep hold of the image but the woman laughed at him and disappeared. If she was Force-strong, could he fail her too?

"Ah…" Yoda stared hard at Luke as his apprentice momentarily appeared to see something shift in the layers of the Force. "Interesting," he murmured, wondering what the boy had seen. Luke was stronger in the Force than he had anticipated – and he'd sensed that Luke was powerful from the exact moment of his birth. How much power did the boy really possess? If they had been back in the Old Republic in the Jedi temple he could have been tested. He had been difficult to hide from Vader and Palpatine. But now he was reaching what he was destined to become and not for the first time Yoda wondered if the practice of taking babies from their families to train as Jedi had been the right one.

Shaken, Luke wondered if Yoda had seen the woman too but the old Jedi said nothing. He gathered his thoughts together and continued, the bitterness in his voice exposing the way he felt. "I was angry with you and Obi-Wan, Master Yoda, and I know anger is of the dark side but you _used_ me."

Yoda's breath escaped in a long hiss and he seemed to deflate in front of Luke's eyes, again appearing old and fragile. "Right you are, young Skywalker and wrong we were. But no other way was there."

"I disagree. You told me the truth from a certain point of view but that truth, and the way it was told, could have destroyed me."

"We had to hope that this was not so. You were our only hope."

"But Leia…"

"Her strengths lie along a different path. Not a warrior is she in the way that we needed. Strong you were and proud was I when you did not turn."

Luke's eyes widened at the unexpected admission. When he'd first come to train on Dagobah he would have given almost anything to hear a word of praise from Yoda. Now somehow, it didn't matter. Without actually being human, the Jedi Master had exhibited to his apprentice some very human failings. He could see the folly of the Jedi's own destruction. "Proud," he whispered.

"You were the only one who could have defeated the Emperor – not me or Obi-Wan, not even Vader. He needed you to be there. Afraid the Emperor was of your power."

"I know – I saw it in him," Luke said simply. "He thought to turn me to the dark side but he could not. My love for my sister and my father was almost my downfall but in the end became stronger than my hate." Luke pulled on his tunic jacket and fastened it. "Master Yoda – Palpatine came close to breaking me," he admitted in a small, ashamed voice.

"Know that, I do. Prouder still am I, that admit it, you can."

Luke hesitated and then decided to speak his thoughts. "You must have known that I would return here. I got your messages."

Yoda stared at the young man. He had changed so much in such a short time – grown up almost overnight. Luke Skywalker had turned out to be far more than he expected and it was one of the most humbling events in the old creature's long life. Luke had his father's strength in the Force – perhaps even greater than his father's because it was tempered with his mother's reason. The boy had the face and colouring that marked him as his father's son but the determination came from Padme Amidala of the Naboo. "I sent no messages. No means have I to do so."

Luke shook his head. "Yes, you do….more powerful than any holonet. But my dreams…I heard you calling me."

"Dreams?"

"You said when I was calm and at peace I would see things and I do…all the time whether I'm calm or not. But in my dreams I was summoned here. You called to me."

Yoda turned away and hobbled to place their used dishes in the sink for washing. "I sent you no dreams, young one."

"I heard your voice," Luke insisted. "Yours and Obi-Wan's.

Yoda frowned. "Strange." Luke was more susceptible to Force-sent visions and images than many Jedi he had taught. But always in motion was the future. "You are certain of this?"

"Yes," Luke said. "Obi Wan came to me about the troubles on Bakura…"

"Of this I was aware. Needed you were."

"Then, when I returned I heard his voice and yours calling me here. I meditated on it and saw you in my visions."

"Then it is as the Force wills." Yoda bowed his head. He had not consciously called the boy but if the Force willed it, he would obey its commands just as Luke had.

"I'd better go and unload my ship." Luke stood up, just managing to avoid bumping his head on the low ceiling of the little hut. He still felt the ache in his skull from the very first time he'd been in Yoda's home. "I brought supplies."

"Supplies?"

"I cannot stay in here with you," Luke said with a rueful chuckle. "I have a Rebel Alliance temporary shelter to act as my accommodation. It's actually quite strong for all that it looks like a piece of reinforced flimsy."

"Not like my home?"

"No…well, yes."

"It will not be of this planet," Yoda said. "Organic my home is – part of this world and therefore part of the Force."

Luke's face lightened. "Maybe, but I can't stand upright in it without doing some serious damage to my skull and Artoo needs somewhere he can move around in relative safety. He spends his time wondering if some creature wants to eat him or the climate will have a detrimental effect on his circuits."

A glimmer of amusement found its way onto Yoda's face. "Understand I do."

"Master Yoda…"

The old sage peered at Luke's shadowed face in the gloom of the faintly shining lamps. "You are thinking of your sister."

"Yes. Leia is often in my thoughts. If I can't teach her, I cannot teach anyone and I fear…"

"Fear?" Yoda shook his head. "No…you mustn't fear."

"But I do fear. I worry that I will never see her again, that without me to protect her she will die. Sure she has Han and Chewbacca to look after her and its not easy to get past Han, let alone a Wookiee but…"

"Ah…" Yoda cut off Luke as he started to ramble. "Protect your sister from harm like the young man you tried to save on Bakura – Dev Sibwarra. His future was never written long in the Force. His destiny was to die. That was his time."

"But I should have been able to save him." Pain leaked through Luke's shields.

"You did save him. He died with the light of the Force surrounding him." Yoda was firm. "But no…you cannot rescue everyone."

"But I have to try."

Yoda shook his head. "Do or do not – there is no try."

Luke laughed bitterly. "All I _can _do is try, Master Yoda. I _do_ the best I can. Sometimes it's not good enough and I regret that more than I can say. I cannot let that happen with Leia or..." Luke frowned. The nagging feeling that he was missing someone out of his equation gnawed at him but he knew of no-one else that might require tuition. The cold-eyed beauty he'd glimpsed earlier flashed into his mind but he had the feeling she was hidden from him by some other means. Her sense to him through the Force was clouded. It could be that the key to finding the whereabouts of the green-eyed beauty would be to continue his studies. "I need to further my training if I'm to see Leia again because if I do, nothing will stop me from instructing her in the ways of the Force." Luke's shoulders slumped as if weighed down by a great burden. "I did not want to return. It was so hard to leave them – one of the hardest things I've ever done. Leaving Tatooine with Obi-Wan was easier because I had nothing left to go back to but now…I have Leia and Han…They still need me and I felt as if I was abandoning them and their cause. The war is not over yet."

"What does your heart tell you?" Yoda asked gently. The boy was still governed by his emotions. Perhaps it was time to start working with him and not against him. Nine hundred years and it was still possible to learn something new. He had succeeded against insurmountable odds and it gave the old Jedi Master hope.

"That I will see her again," he said softly. "And I will train her to become a Jedi."

"Then you will. Come Luke, your shelter you must set up and then sleep you will require. Rest will be necessary for work you hard I must."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Coruscant Spaceport – Three Years Later**

Wearily Han Solo pulled the offending piece of fried wiring from the panel above the _Millennium Falcon's _main view port. "Damn Wookiee, thinks he can rewire everything but does he have to do it when I'm trying to get home?" He was tired. Tired of chasing Imperial remnants and jumped up warlords from one end of the galaxy to the other; tired of he and Leia never seeing one another from one month to the next and tired of wondering whether the Kid was still alive or not. It was three years to the day that the Kid had walked out on them and there hadn't been a day that he didn't wonder where Luke was and how he was doing. Didn't he know that they needed him – he'd said that he would know. Han shook away his feeling of betrayal.

He'd seen the change in Leia, seen the way she tried to keep hold of her brother's presence and how her beautiful dark eyes had dimmed a little as she lost the thread of the spirit that linked them together. But despite time and lack of contact and Han's misgivings, Leia maintained that her brother was still alive and would return to them when _he_ decided that the time was right. Since Luke had rescued Han from Jabba's palace, Leia's faith in her brother's abilities had been unshakeable.

'_Time was right. Hah!" _Han thought that he might punch the Kid in the jaw for putting them through hell and back when he hadn't needed to. Han admitted to himself that he hadn't understood why Luke had decided to leave them and he _still_ didn't. But he had no doubts that Luke was still alive. If Leia had said he was alive – then he was alive. He didn't really believe in Luke's hokey religion but there was something weird about the Kid at times. Han Solo respected 'weird'.

"What the hell did you do to this for, you great overstuffed Ewok?" he bellowed irritably at his two metre tall, shaggy companion.

Chewbacca loped into the cockpit waving his hydrospanner about and growling angrily, "Don't take your temper out on me, Han."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Han apologised swiftly. He hadn't been too even-tempered of late. It was a wonder Chewie was still speaking to him.

The Wookiee cocked his head to one side and gazed at his long-time friend and partner. "You need some time out."

"Well, that's not gonna happen anytime soon. We'd better get this ship fixed. We can only spend a week here at the most and then we need to head out towards the Outer Rim. The Empire has been a little too active there recently. Some over-important Moff thinking he can be the next Emperor."

"I'll fix it…you get some sleep and in a proper bed. Not here."

"I sleep better here on the _Falcon_." He didn't add 'without Leia'. He didn't have to. Chewie understood that little fact all too well. But Leia was on the other side of the galaxy trying to persuade various worlds and star systems to join the Alliance – sorry, he corrected himself, the New Republic.

"Well, go and get some decent human food inside you," the Wookiee ordered gruffly.

"I need a drink and conversation with my sort of people."

"You drink too much," the Wookiee commented. "It's food and sleep that you need. Your sort of people aren't 'your sort' any more."

"Now you sound like Leia."

Chewie bared his teeth in a threatening expression. "Go home."

Han threw down his tools. "I'm going, I'm going." He fastened his low slung holster around his thigh and exited via the loading ramp muttering curses in several languages as he went. It wasn't fair of him to take his bad mood out on Chewie but on the last planet they'd stopped on for refuelling and provisions there had been a giant holo which had screamed the latest galactic gossip in large flashing aurebesh…

_'Princess Leia Organa to marry the Duke of…'_

He'd commed Leia, trying to keep it light but it had ended up as a slanging match. It was difficult to argue with the one person in the galaxy you desperately loved more than any other. She'd laughed it off at first.

_"I shook his hand at a function, Han. That's all."_

_"Well, it's all over the holonet. It looked disgusting the way he was slobbering all over you."_

_"He kissed my hand, nerfbrain, and believe me, that's as far as it went. He's boring. He has the personality of a wet flannel…"_

_"And a fortune of several billion credits," _Han had snapped. _"The __New__Republic__ sure could use…"_

_"If you think so little of me, Han," _Leia had snapped back_. "Then perhaps I should be considering the Duke's most generous offer."_

The chinless wonder had actually had the nerve to make an offer! Han was incensed. _"Fine.__ You do that."_

Han had scowled at the billboard. The way he'd acted it wouldn't be any surprise if she married the first aristocrat with enough money to bail the Alliance, sorry - the _New__Republic_out of their financial troubles. But he'd been feeling insecure due to the time they'd been spending apart and the jealousy he'd felt had sparked out of control. What had he to offer a princess? Leia hadn't spoken to him since and that was two weeks ago. If he could only see her, then he would be able to apologise for the way he'd acted and the things he'd said. He hadn't meant any of them. Home wasn't anything without her.

He'd once joked that he would just kidnap her or they'd elope but he had a feeling that he'd have to do some serious grovelling before Leia would let him anywhere near her. He patted his left pants pocket and felt the reassuring lump of the ring box. It wasn't as flashy as perhaps the Duke might manage but he loved her and that must count for something. He wondered what the Kid might have to say about it. Maybe he would have to ask Luke for permission to marry his sister – that is, if the Kid eventually surfaced from wherever he was hiding himself. The idea struck him as amusing and for the first time in several days, his lips tilted into his familiar lop-sided grin.

That's if Luke was still alive. The smile slipped. Suddenly things didn't seem so funny any more. For a while he'd suspected that Leia knew her brother's whereabouts. It had led to more rows until he had simply stopped asking.

Just overhead, an enormous, ugly, red ship glided smoothly into one of the docking bays and something about it caught and held Han's wandering attention. It was a huge bulk Action VI transport. These ships were considered to be slow, poorly armed and easy targets for pirates. "Surprisingly quiet," he murmured appreciatively. In his expert opinion, this ship was more than it appeared to be. His instincts had never let him down on matters of ships and hidden hardware. It probably belonged to one of the big trading guilds or even a smuggling group.

Han moved a little closer as the ship powered into a gentle landing. The engines on that class of ship were never that quiet or particularly powerful and he recognised the signs indicating that she was carrying top-grade concealed weaponry – he'd been in the smuggling business too long himself. 'I know that ship', Han thought suddenly, as his trained eye noted the reinforced hull armour. 'It's the _Wilde Karrde_.' So Talon Karrde had arrived on Coruscant and Han wondered why. The smuggler and master trader was reputed not to like the city planet and preferred to operate from a series of secret bases scattered around the galaxy.

Considered to be one of the shrewdest and most intelligent men amongst the smuggling fraternity, Talon Karrde had been plying his trade - both legal and illegal - for longer than Han had been flying and was considered to be the best in the business. Han knew that the rebellion had done quite a few deals with Karrde over the years but the wily smuggling chief had not been keen to advertise the fact. No, Talon Karrde had tried and succeeded in staying neutral. Han pursed his lips thoughtfully. One day, he suspected that the smuggler might have to choose sides. But for the moment, Karrde worked for the profits of his organisation only.

There was another side to Talon Karrde's operations that Han had discovered by accident when he'd helped out a former colleague who'd got himself into a tight spot with a bunch of Imperial inspectors. Karrde had sent him a message thanking him and Han's suspicions that one of the inspectors was one of Karrde's men had blossomed. He'd been unable to do anything without blowing his cover and it was only with Han's help that Deavin had got away without further problems. Karrde liked to know exactly what was happening on all fronts – a good thing for someone existing on the fringe of legality. The suave smuggler chief employed the best spies in the business. Han had tried to get the Rebellion hierarchy to take that on board and use Karrde, if and when they could. But Ackbar was not overly fond of smugglers and distrusted any information supplied. Han would have staked the _Falcon_ on any news that Karrde's people brought to the table being the real deal.

Could Karrde do what Han had been unable to do and find out where Luke was hiding himself? It was worth considering. He walked away unaware that his interest in the ship had already been noted and filed for future reference.

"Han!"

He spun around at the sound of his name, his jaw dropping with surprised incredulity at the sight of a small figure rushing towards him. This wasn't real – it was a dream. He blinked but he wasn't seeing things. His lover was still running towards him. "Leia?"

Leia Organa stopped abruptly a few metres from where he stood. It was as if she had suddenly remembered their last conversation. Han could see the two burly security men General Airen Cracken had posted with her remain several respectful metres behind her but close enough to act if he should turn dangerous. It should be him and Chewie protecting Leia, he thought sourly.

"Han…I'm sorry," she whispered, her dark eyes stricken.

"Aw…hell, Leia. I'm the one who's sorry." He took a step towards her and held out his arms and, with a little whimper of relief; the last Princess of Alderaan hurled herself into the welcome warmth and feeling of love and security that Han Solo's embrace represented.

"Sweetheart, I'm a jealous fool."

"Han, I've missed you so much," Leia said. "I love you," she said, truth shining in her eyes. "They would like me to make a nice dynastic marriage to the scion of a wealthy house but how can I? I can't bear how they've pulled us apart."

"We won't let them do that any more," he muttered, dropping a kiss on top of her head.

"How?"

"We'll think of a way." Han rubbed his chin over the top of her tightly braided coronet of hair and was struck by a memory of the last time he had held her in his arms, her hair spilling across the pillows in their cabin on the _Millennium Falcon._ "Besides…we've been doing a damned good job of that ourselves and it's time that we stopped."

She stared up at him, her face serious. "We have, haven't we? Let's go." Leia removed herself from his embrace but clasped his hand in hers.

"Yes – good idea. I need you, Leia. This chasing all over the galaxy without me isn't on anymore."

With an imperious nod of her dark head, Leia dismissed the security guards. Han could see they were unhappy about it but there was nothing they could do. Sometimes he wondered if the Alliance hierarchy – sorry, the New Republic - were trying to steer Leia away from him and onto someone more suitable. Hell, anyone was more suitable for the last princess of Alderaan than he was. But he loved her and she loved him. They had to find a way and soon. It was killing them to be apart from each other for so long.

"I need Han more than I need you," she said firmly. One of the guards made as if to speak but Leia held her hand up in a staying motion. "Han will protect me."

Han's grim expression lightened and his lazy heart-stopping smile shone down into the face of the woman he loved. "With my life, Highnessness."


	4. Chapter 4

**Out of the Shadows 4**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one.

Ash Darklighter

**Westport**** Spaceport, Coruscant**

The smuggler chief, Talon Karrde, walked purposefully through the narrow passageways to the busy command centre of the _Wild Karrde_. His crew was more than capable of landing the ship but he always liked to be around just in case there were any problems. He needn't have worried. He soon saw that his presence on the bridge hadn't been required. His newly appointed second-in-command stood grimly supervising the landing procedures. For a moment he stood and watched her operate wondering if she even noticed that he was there so intent was she on her task. But she _had_ known he was nearby with the uncanny sixth sense she had already unknowingly displayed to him on several occasions since she had joined his organisation.

"Take a break, Jade," he ordered.

She nodded and, without saying a word, stalked gracefully from the area. Karrde watched her slim figure as she exited. Mara Jade had been in his employ for over six months and he had never met a more efficient human being. She was beautiful, with hard green eyes and a luxurious but tightly braided rope of red gold hair. Yes, Karrde thought, efficient, competent, intelligent and very decorative. She was all of these things and more but she couldn't be described as being warm or friendly. The mysterious beauty masked an inner core of cold durasteel.

Karrde had, at first, thought she was one step up from a human replica droid and had little or nothing in the way of normal human emotions. But sometimes when she thought she was unobserved, hidden fires could be seen lurking in the depths of her fabulous jade-green eyes. Karrde admired her for her intelligence and her beauty but that's as far as his interest in Mara went. Of course he wanted to know what made her tick but he would never have pursued a relationship with her. There was something dark and scarred hidden in her past that she didn't want to talk about and her air of reserve stopped any questions. Plus she was the best assistant he had ever had and he didn't want to jeopardise Mara's position within his organisation. An affair with a close employee was doomed to fail. It meant that any romantic liaisons Karrde enjoyed were kept outside his crew.

What's more, the rest of his crew genuinely seemed to respect Mara. She did her job well and was scrupulously fair, taking her share of all the tasks on board a working freighter. He had his suspicions of what her previous employment might have entailed. He was not a fool. She had been trained by the best.

The only time he'd seen her react in any way was at the sole mention Karrde had once made of a certain Jedi Knight by the name of Luke Skywalker.

"Stang, boss!" Dankin exclaimed with a rueful grin, turning away from the security vid. "She's worse than you are for regulations."

"You've said that before but I notice you don't complain too much."

"She's good," the pilot admitted quietly with a careful look round at the rest of the crew who were absorbed in their duties. "And easy on the eye but don't repeat that to her. I want to live a little longer."

Karrde's lips twitched. "I suspect she would frown at your comments."

"Probably." Dankin grinned again. "No-one in the crew will challenge her to a bout of hand-to-hand combat again, that's for sure."

"Yes, Dreghan did come off worst in that encounter and deserved to. He fought with all the panache of a three day old ewok cub. After his pathetic display I decided that the entire crew could do with a little workout and a brushing up of their weapons training."

"Workout! Boss." Dankin exclaimed with outraged dignity.

"Admit you need some exercise." Karrde stared pointedly at the pooling of flesh around Dankin's girth. You're getting fat, old man. That is why Mara will be instructing you and the rest of the crew on a regular basis as of next week."

Dankin grinned and fixed his gaze back onto one of the security monitors. "Never hurts to keep up our skills. Could save our lives one day and as I said..." He laughed quietly. "She's really good. Could give even _you_ a run for your credits."

Karrde chuckled. "She would beat me. But not easily because I have a strong will to survive, know a lot of tricks and I fight dirty."

"I suspect so would Jade."

"You could be right." Karrde smoothed his neatly trimmed black goatee, his pale blue eyes following the direction of Dankin's gaze. "What do you see?" he queried sharply, his amusement gone. "Or perhaps should I say 'who'?"

"It's a 'who'," the pilot admitted quietly. "Ever since we landed this guy's been staring at the ship…"

"There's nothing peculiar about that," Karrde countered evenly. "Unless it's customs." He saw nothing to get excited about…yet... but wasn't about to dismiss Dankin's suspicions out of hand. "This is a spaceport. Beings check out the ships all the time."

"Yeah…but this isn't an expensive pleasure yacht. It's a bulk transport freighter."

"There are beings who like to look at them. The galaxy is a strange place with stranger things in it." Karrde's tone was mocking but if Dankin was concerned then there was a good reason. "The _Wild Karrde _is a good ship."

"With a lot of things it shouldn't have on board," he muttered. "Weaponry, increased hull plating, sensor and scanning equipment…" He scowled. "I'll need to get Aves to confirm this for us but…" Dankin isolated the image he wanted from the security scanners and a holo flashed onto the vid screen. It was the picture of a familiar, good looking man in his mid to late thirties. "He looks like…"

"Well, I'll be sat upon by a Hutt!" Karrde exclaimed, startled from his habitual calm. He knew this character. "I was just thinking about the very man." There weren't many things that surprised Karrde. He'd expected a ship thief or another one of the smuggling fraternity. Not… "Is he still out there?"

"Yup, but he's been met by some sort of reception committee."

"Hostile?" Karrde's hand automatically travelled down to where he wore his blaster in a low-slung thigh holster.

"Her large escorts could be unfriendly but she looks mighty glad to see him, the way she's examining his tonsils. The New Republic is in control on Coruscant now. He's not going to be arrested for being who he is." He jerked his head at another monitor. "See for yourself, boss."

Karrde's eyes narrowed at the images of two people clinging together with a desperation belonging solely to those parted for a very long time - the former smuggler turned New Republic hero, Han Solo and the Princess Leia Organa together on Coruscant. If his sources had it correct, this had to be the first time in months and his sources were the most reliable in the galaxy.

"Is that who I think it is? Or should I get Aves to check it for us or Mara…"

"No, not Mara," Karrde said quickly. "She needs her rest. She took two double shifts getting us here. I can confirm that it's Solo and Organa." He didn't think that asking Mara to confirm the identities of the New Republic's greatest heroes would be the most tactful thing to do. Especially as he was almost certain that she'd worked for the Empire in some specialist capacity.

"The Princess. I never thought we would get to see her out in the open now that the Rebellion is the New Republic."

"Oh, Leia Organa can still get to places she'd be better off not seeing. Probably Solo's doing. But…" He shrugged his shoulders lightly. "It might make her a better politician…"

"A better politician!" Dankin echoed.

"If that's a possibility. She's quite competent already and very determined. She's had to be to get through what she's been forced to endure. I wonder how her father would have viewed his only daughter running for her life across the galaxy accompanied by smugglers and other renegades. It's a pity what happened to him. Bail Organa was a good man. Seeing how a large proportion of the galaxy still exists for most of the time won't have done her any harm."

"She's been on the run for years. The Empire had a huge bounty on her head and yet she managed to survive."

"Yes, Leia Organa is quite a woman and Han Solo…Well, everything they say about him is true."

"I did meet him back in the old days but he wasn't doing so nicely back then."

"Things have looked up for him."

"Does he still travel with the Wookiee?"

Karrde nodded. "Yes, Chewbacca is as much in evidence as he ever was. He won't be far away." He moved to his captain's chair and lowered his lean frame into it. What the smuggler wondered was where the fourth member of the famous group had gone. He had disappeared three years ago and no one - not even Karrde with all his resources - had managed to determine the location of Luke Skywalker

It had taken him by surprise when Skywalker had first vanished. It was said that he'd gone on some mission. But then he hadn't come back. Word was that he'd resigned from the military to research the Jedi. Rumour had it that he hadn't even been real but a myth created by the Rebels to create sympathy and make them more appealing to worlds that might be sympathetic to their cause. Karrde wasn't buying that one. Luke Skywalker had been real enough and he owned several holos of the man proving his existence, plus a copy of his application to join the Imperial Naval Academy. Yes, that could be faked but Karrde knew the real thing when he saw it.

If anyone knew where the young rebel commander had gone it had to be the two people embracing as if they were about to be separated forever. People did disappear under Palpatine's rule but it was the first time that a Rebel hero had vanished without any explanation at all.

Mara Jade breathed a silent sigh of relief as the _Wild Karrde_ eased through the bustling traffic lanes until it touched down gently in docking bay 645 in Coruscant's largest spaceport.

_Coruscant! _

Finally. Mara's heart felt as if it might burst from her body and wing its way out of the ship but she never let her turbulent emotions show on her face. It was one of the very first things the Emperor had taught her. But her own emotions confused her. What was it she actually felt? Was it joy, relief, dread or anticipation? Whatever it was, she had finally come home…or the nearest thing she had had to a home. Ysanne Isaard's treachery had seen to it that the jewel of the Core Worlds had been devoid of its sparkle for its most faithful servant. Though imprisoned like a common criminal, she had escaped. She'd been wandering the galaxy for so long - like a Camaasi or even an Alderaanian refugee, denied their place of refuge.

But things could never be as they once were. _He_ had seen to that. Hate burned briefly for a moment until she controlled the flame.

She sensed the presence behind her of the man who had given her a new life. Talon Karrde had given her a job and a purpose to go on existing and she was grateful.

"Take a break, Jade," Karrde ordered.

She nodded silently and left the bridge, wondering how much he had guessed about her past. She'd sensed his curiosity about her but he never asked. Mara knew that he would wait until she introduced the subject herself. He would have a long wait. She never spoke of that to anyone. Some things were better left unsaid; some things better forgotten. She couldn't change her past; only make herself a new future.

Mara made her way swiftly along the cramped passageway until she came to the small cabin she'd been lucky enough to occupy alone in her position as Karrde's second-in-command. Space was at a premium on this vessel generally used for transporting cargo, not life forms. The door slid shut behind her and she gazed tiredly at the narrow bunk. She had time for a quick nap before she needed to make any decisions about what to do next with her life - If there was any decision to make, that is. She'd given Karrde her loyalty and that was something she did not bestow lightly.

She had been too keyed up to sleep knowing their destination and had volunteered to take the night watch but now the reality of being on Coruscant had caught up with her. Her first impulse had been to open the entry hatch and run to see if it was still as she remembered it - to see if the Imperial palace could instill the old familiar feelings of fear and devotion inside her. But now she was strangely reluctant to do anything at all. She would sleep and then make any new decisions when fully refreshed.

Too fatigued to undress, Mara lay down on the bunk, pulled the blanket over her weary body and swiftly fell asleep. The dream, when it came, was different from the others. She'd always had dreams, even as a child growing up alone and out of place amongst the vast halls and marble pillars of Palpatine's palace. The Emperor had been the only person to understand her dreams and to make something out of her confused, often nightmarish, visions. When they'd become too disturbing and too clear for a child of her age, he'd made them stop and for that she'd been thankful.

After his death the dreams had stopped until just over two weeks ago when they had suddenly begun again with images of the twin suns of the planet Tatooine. They hadn't been the garishly bright nightmarish fantasies of her childhood but just as disturbing in a different way. She remembered Tatooine and her failure there. Why was this happening to her now?

She stood alone in a clearing in a place she didn't recognise. She was dressed in a brown cloak, her hair unbound, flowing over her shoulders and down her back. At her waist hung her lightsaber. Mara's sleep fogged mind tried to protest. This was wrong. She'd lost her lightsaber - the one Palpatine had made especially for her - when Ysanne Isaard had tried to imprison her after her Master had died. She had no such weapon now. Her hands brushed the object. This was not hers. The handle was shaped in a different way and she admitted that she liked this one better. Carefully she took one step and then another. The trees seemed to part for her until she glimpsed the shimmer of water ahead. Following her strange compulsion, Mara kept moving forward until she reached the shores of a lake.

Mist rose mysteriously from the surface, the depth indicated by the murky darkness of the water. Strange things lurked below; she could just see the shadowy outline of a sinuous body coiling beneath the surface and waiting…just waiting. It was her fear, she thought hazily. Just waiting to strike her down. Mara couldn't remember the first time that she realised that fear was her constant companion.

Something made her lift her head. The powerful presence in the Force was different from the Force users she had encountered before and she couldn't fathom why. It was as if a light had suddenly emerged in the darkest of tunnels. She peered through the white vapour until she spied a young man dressed in black standing on the opposite bank. He appeared to be familiar to her but she'd never seen him before in her life - or had she? He was handsome, she thought hazily – very handsome.

_"Mara!"_ he said, his voice carrying clearly across the lake.

'He knows my name,' she thought. _"How do you know…?"_

_"Your name?"_

Suddenly he stood next to her and Mara couldn't fathom how he had got there. But of course, it was a dream. Anything was possible.

_"How do you know my name?"_ she repeated, startled to find that his eyes were so blue. She'd never known anyone with eyes of so vivid a colour.

_"Your name?__ I don't know how or why I know it…I just do."_

He placed a hand on her shoulder and Mara was surprised to find that it was warm and heavy, sending tremors up and down her spine. _"But I don't know who you are,"_ she whispered.

_"Yes, you do."_

_"I recognise your face."_

_"Faces can alter – minds may grow. Learn to identify my existence..."_

_"Stop speaking in riddles. I don't understand,"_ she snapped.

The young man just smiled sadly and began to merge with the slowly curling mist, his body fading away. _"Maybe some day you will."_

_"No…don't leave me here…alone."_ She didn't want him to leave her. He made her feel warm and…safe. She hadn't felt anything like that ever.

_"You won't be alone."_ The voice had become as ephemeral as the mists. _"You have the Force."_

_"The Force!__ No…I don't. It died when he died,"_ she muttered as she opened her eyes and as the remnants of her dream faded she whispered brokenly, "Without him, I am nothing. I am no one."

The words echoed in her mind. _"No…you are strong…believe."_

Talon Karrde stood outside Mara's cabin. He'd meant to give this to her before she'd left the bridge. If he handed it over now then she could rest and read over the information for the meetings he had already scheduled. He pressed his hand against the door announcer and then frowned. He couldn't hear any signs of activity but then, she had undertaken extra shifts. She could be asleep by now. She hadn't looked tired but it was difficult to gauge how Mara was feeling at any given time.

Mara heard the door chime as she struggled into wakefulness. Someone was at her door. "Wait…" she called as she sat up and pushed the cover away. It landed on the deck plates in a crumpled heap. "I'm coming." She activated the door release and waited for the door to slide smoothly aside.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Mara," Karrde apologised as he saw the vagueness of sleep rapidly disappear from her features. Damn, he thought. She had to be tired for him to even glimpse a weakness. He held out a small box of data cards. "We have several meetings scheduled for two days hence and I meant to give you these earlier. These are the details."

"Thanks," Mara mumbled, her hand reaching for the box.

"I would like you to accompany me to these appointments. There will be times when you will represent me on behalf of the organisation. There are people you need to meet."

"I understand," she said.

Karrde placed the data cards into her hand and stepped away, bowing his head politely as he moved from her cabin. He knew she would do any research that needed to be done. From the very first moment he'd met her, he realised that she was the type of person that was prepared for anything - a strange habit for a hyperdrive mechanic on Varonat where he'd picked her up. She'd saved his life when he'd run into trouble. He had been lucky to escape but his friend and partner, Quelev Tapper, had been killed. He still missed the old guy's friendship and council. Karrde reckoned that he owed Jade big time and when she'd asked for a job he'd been happy to oblige. He paid his debts but in this case he'd been the winner. Perhaps if he had been a more usual sort of employer he might have insisted on her exact life history before she started working for him. But there were areas in his own past that he was less than proud of. It was up to Mara to tell him what she wanted him to know and why she was so interested in what Aves had once sardonically termed 'The New Republic Royalty.'

Leia Organa, Han Solo and especially Luke Skywalker.

Clutching the box of data cards as the cabin door slid shut, Mara let her self-possessed façade slip from her features and stumbled back towards her bunk. Dropping the box on her small desk, she reached for the discarded blanket and flopped onto the bed, hearing the springs give. Work could wait until she'd had some proper sleep without bizarre Force-fed dreams to disturb her.

Mara moved her head around on her pillow and then finally decided to loosen her heavy plait. As she pulled the strands free, she focused on what she could remember of her strange dream. It was how she had always acted. Examining these signs would ultimately interfere with her concentration so it was better to get it out of the way. Her hand stilled, her mouth opening in horror.

Sith! The man in her dream. She _did_ know who he was. But he couldn't know her. It wasn't possible. They had never met one another…only in her dreams.

She'd just had a vision of Luke Skywalker and he had known who she was – he had called her by name.

She'd seen him once in the flesh on Tatooine at the B'Omarr Monastery, stronghold of Jabba the Hutt. The Emperor had sent her to kill him and she'd failed. It had been her first real failure and the beginning of the end of her life as she knew it. The Jedi had escaped and returned to the Rebel fleet. Soon afterwards, he had killed her Master at Endor.

Mara curled into a foetal position, clutching at her covering with stiff fingers. She'd been in the same room as Skywalker and she'd failed to kill him. The Emperor had been right to be afraid of the young Jedi Knight but perhaps he hadn't been afraid enough.

She had tried to find him, tried to complete her mission and again had failed. After Endor, the Rebels had immediately pressed Skywalker into leading a task force to the remote world of Bakura, where he helped the Bakurans break from the Empire and defeat an alien invasion. That was the last mission he had undertaken for the Rebel Alliance, now calling themselves the New Republic. He completely disappeared. In fact, he had vanished as if he had never existed. There were even rumours that he had never really existed at all and had been a myth perpetrated by the Rebel traitors to encourage others to rise up against the Empire.

Mara knew this was false. She'd seen him. She had seen grainy holo-footage of him culled from Tatooine's spaceport and stared at him across the smoke filled chamber in Jabba the Hutt's desert stronghold. Where had he gone and why. Was he still alive? Mara thought so. Somebody somewhere must know of his whereabouts.

She had a score to settle with him; one that this time, she wouldn't fail. Luke Skywalker would die.


	5. Chapter 5

**Out of the Shadows - part 5**

****

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks must also go to Michele and Rhea just for being there and Licia for her continued support. This one is for you, Ladies.

Ash Darklighter

**Coruscant**

Mara paused on the threshold of the _Wild Karrde's_ exit hatch and tried to calm her suddenly shaking nerves. It was merely the ordinariness of the spaceport she was looking at with something approaching awe, not the spectacular gardens attached to the Imperial palace where once she'd had free reign. Like any busy spaceport it was grey and dirty, a symphony of noisy engines, raucous voices raised in angry conversations and miles of cheerless duracrete. It was disappointing to see this drabness on the jewel planet of the Core worlds but when you knew what lay just outside the gates, it was a different story.

Ships belched smoke and fumes turning the surrounding area dingy and dismal. Overhead she could see the lanes of constant traffic threading its way between the spires and tall buildings. But sometimes, when the sun shone at just the right angle, Mara remembered seeing glints of sparkling crystals hidden in the stone.

She'd read that the Imperial gardens were now open to the general public and planned to visit them in a bid to place her former life in the past where it belonged. In an austere world the beautiful grounds had been full of colour - an oasis of peace and beauty where she'd tried to forget the faces of the people she'd had to destroy. She also wanted to find the wing of the palace where she had spent her years growing up – if it was still there. She wouldn't be allowed near what had once been her suite but even just to gaze up at what had been her private balcony, then she would know that she was finally home. What that was going to do for her life she had no idea. She would not be able to return and take up her place in society again.

She hesitated. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Retracing her steps in this sort of masochistic way wasn't her style.

"You planning on standing there all day, Jade?" Aves remarked mockingly as he passed her.

"I'm just wondering where I'm going first."

"You've never been on Coruscant before?" He stopped, astonished.

"A good many beings never make to the Core, let alone Coruscant itself, Aves," Talon Karrde said, his voice mildly rebuking. "The galaxy is a big place."

Mara could see the curiosity in his pale blue eyes and wanted to keep her privacy but part of her despised the thought of being considered as coming from the colonies or even worse, a rimworlder. "I…ah…"

"You look nice, Mara," Karrde commented, surprised. He'd only ever seen her in her serviceable jumpsuits and tunics, her hair tightly braided. Her hair was still tightly braided but she was wearing a smart, but understated business tunic and pants in a dark green colour. She looked as if she would fit in with the Coruscant natives instantly.

"Thank you," she replied dismissively. Her looks were useful but she had found that others were more interested in the way she looked than she was. No one had ever accused Mara of being vain about her appearance. Palpatine had made it more than clear that she was there only to serve him and her looks were advantageous because beauty in itself was a weapon to be wielded with skill and cunning.

"Do you want ideas on where to go?" Aves enquired casually. "I think we've even got holo cards with information on the entertainment district and the government centre area somewhere."

"No, I don't require directions." Mara shook her head. "I did grow up here after all."

"You did?" Aves mouth opened in surprise. He hadn't expected that.

"I'm off to look up some of my old haunts. Get rid of some ghosts."

"People and places, Mara?" Karrde asked quietly.

"They have all gone – the people…and I don't suppose I would be too welcome in the places either," she replied steadily, managing to keep the pain from her voice but she must have let something show as Karrde's eyes narrowed. "There's just me left."

"You have the organisation, Mara. You are a part of that."

"Yes…well. I suppose I am." She flicked a wary glance at Aves and then back at Karrde. "I'm not getting anything done by standing here gossiping," Mara almost babbled.

"Tomorrow morning at the New Republic trade centre. It's at the…"

"I know where it's at," she said with difficulty and I know what time." She indicated her expensive chrono. "I'll see you there." And without looking at either Karrde or Aves again, Mara sped down the ramp and disappeared into the main thoroughfare.

"Boss?" Aves asked.

Karrde shook his head. "I don't understand either but that's the most information Mara has given any of us about where she came from or what she did before she joined us."

"You trust her?"

"Oh, yes." He qualified his statement. "As much as I trust anyone. But I must admit I would like to know more about her. I am as curious as the next man."

"She's very…angry inside. That's the only way I can describe her. Very beautiful but angry."

Karrde considered Aves' view and then nodded. "You're right. I wonder what made her like that?"

"You have a place to start finding out if this _is_ her home planet."

Karrde's expression was thoughtful. "So I do…but we all have secrets we want to keep. She does admirably what I pay her to do and as long as she keeps doing exactly that…"

"It's her business. I get it, Boss, and I guess you're right on this one."

"I am," Karrde stated simply.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Mara allowed herself to be engulfed and carried out of the spaceport by a tide of noisy tourists as they exited from a rather flashy pleasure cruiser. Her first impressions of Coruscant under the government of the New Republic were that little had changed. Someone else was in charge but as long as life existed the way it always had on the city planet the inhabitants would accept it.

But as she let herself be drawn towards the centre of the entertainment district, Mara could see that there were obvious differences. The statues of Palpatine had all disappeared and the proportion of alien beings had increased greatly. Here and there she glimpsed vast construction droids tearing down buildings damaged in the political changeover but the people continued to hurry on with their lives with the selfishness of the galactic elite. No, Mara decided, the changes were superficial at best.

She caught an air taxi and asked to be taken to the old Imperial museum. The driver, a grizzled human had seen many changes in his life was especially glad to take her when she doubled his fee. Mara had learned early that plenty credits got you precisely where you wanted to go.

"Is this your first time on Coruscant?" the driver asked, making casual conversation.

"No," Mara replied reluctantly. "I used to live here." She briefly thought about that time when she'd called the city planet her home. It seemed so long ago – another lifetime really. She wasn't the same person now as she had been then. She had been…happy. Sort of. "It was several years ago before the change in…government."

"Very little has altered since the change although trade is better under the New Republic and you can say what you want without worrying that you might disappear to Lusankya or Kessel. Coruscant is always the same no matter whoever is in power. We get more alien tourists these days. Some of them seem to be very intelligent and they pay well."

"Yes," Mara admitted. It was something she had discovered for herself even before the Emperor had died. It was something she had thought, with a tinge of guilty disloyalty, that he had been wrong about.

"The Imperial Museum has changed. The New Republic have expanded the facility and added to the displays. Apparently they are well worth seeing."

"It's to be expected," Mara said. "I'm looking forward to it."

"You should enjoy it. There are all sorts of interesting exhibits and interactive events for the young ones."

"That's good," she said. "Children should be properly educated. I was." She closed her mouth abruptly.

Content that he had done his bit making the tourist feel welcome, the driver also lapsed into silence as he skilfully swooped between lanes of fast flowing traffic.

"Here you are, M'Lady," he said as he drew up to the landing stage.

Mara thanked him graciously and exited the vehicle, her mind busy with the things she needed to do. It was only a short walk past expensive shops until she reached the large plaza in front of the museum and stopped in shock, almost outraged at the sight in front of her. An exhibition of New Republic ships was arrayed in the massive central square, where once had stood statues of Emperor Palpatine and other Imperial heroes. The assembled craft were examples of the ones used in the Rebellion's successful victories at Yavin, Endor and Coruscant. Small and shabby, they mocked her very existence.

Mara tightened her lips and began walking again only to step across a hidden sensor and find herself accosted by a holo image of someone she recognised as the former Imperial, General Crix Madine asking her to visit the museum's main gallery. There she could see models of the larger cruisers and stand in the actual control room the Rebels had used on Yavin IV during the destruction of the original Death Star.

Mara snorted. 'Not bloody likely,' she thought, and then had to avoid similar holos of Mon Mothma, Princess Leia Organa and Admiral Ackbar. She didn't need to be told who they were. She had read extensive Imperial Intel files on these traitors. The only one she'd seen up close was the Rebel princess, Leia Organa. She'd seen her several times before Yavin when Leia had been the youngest ever Senator in the Imperial Senate and then on Tatooine at the palace of Jabba the Hutt. It wouldn't be the last time. Mara was certain that they would meet again.

Moving into the museum she patiently submitted to the customary security checks before making her way into what was one of the research and reading rooms. Finding a vacant console in a quiet corner, Mara settled down to find out some information. With any luck some of her old codes might still work.

An hour later, Talon Karrde stood watching his second-in-command tap instructions into one of the machines. 'Just what was she up to?' he wondered. Perhaps it_ was _time to find out. It was pure chance that had brought him to the museum to have an appointment with one of his more exclusive clients about an item he wanted to purchase for them. Just as his meeting was about to begin, he had suddenly caught sight of Mara entering the reading room. When he'd finished his discussion to his and his client's satisfaction, his curiosity had made him see if she was still there.

Mara could feel eyes upon her, drilling into the back of her shoulder blades but when she turned around, she couldn't see anyone. Yet the sensation of being watched continued. She was alone in the chamber. The sound of a door sliding shut sealing her alone in the room caught her ears.

"Research, Mara?" Karrde's voice was cool, his eyes guarded.

Mara stiffened in surprise. Her detection skills were atrophying now that the Emperor was no longer there to guide her. Once she might have been able to discover his surveillance and lose him. He must have followed her from the spaceport. "Karrde!" Her eyes turned as hard and as cold as ice-crystals as anger began to consume her. "Spying on me?" she hissed, her voice quiet but deadly. "How dare you? I never thought you would spy on me."

"No," he murmured calmly. "I trust you. To say that I was spying on you insinuates a lack of trust on your part for me. The museum is a good place to meet clients as you will find out."

Mara paused and considered what he had said. She was prepared to admit that she could have been wrong. "I'm sorry," she muttered and then swivelled abruptly back to her console and switched off the viewer. But not before Karrde had glimpsed a clear view of the image she'd been staring at. A young, fair haired man squinted into the holo-imager, a wary expression on his handsome face - a _familiar_ face.

So she was still interested in Luke Skywalker…why? Mara was not the type of female to indulge in silly adolescent crushes. No, her interest had to have some other reason.

"If you'd only asked," Karrde murmured smoothly, "I have a complete dossier on Skywalker and his comrades…or as complete as it's going to be."

"Going to be?" Mara echoed, too surprised to object to his interference in her private business. "And you would give me the information?"

"If you had asked for it, yes, I would. But why would you want it? Skywalker disappeared three years ago and hasn't been seen since."

"I know that," she snapped. "He left the Rebel fleet on a solo mission after he, the Corellian Smuggler and the Princess of Alderaan returned from the Bakuran conflict. That was just over three years ago and there's been no sign of him – he just disappeared."

"Three years is a long time with no sign of the Rebels' hero," Karrde said consideringly.

"Don't you think it's strange that the New Republic have not searched for Skywalker's whereabouts?"

"I'd heard that they had. I heard that Solo was looking for him and his fighter squadron have also been asking questions – the Rogues."

"Solo is persistent," Mara mocked lightly. "I've seen some holos of Rogue Squadron in action…impressive."

"Organa has said very little on the subject," Karrde commented.

"That always struck me as odd. I thought she was in love with him or he with her…"

"No, she's very much involved with Solo." Karrde thought back to the meeting he'd witnessed at the spaceport between Han Solo and his princess. "I haven't heard anything about an affair with the Jedi. It appeared to me that they had a very close friendship. These people went through a lot together."

"A princess and a smuggler – how quaint. I'm surprised the New Republic still allows it."

"Han's not a smuggler these days. He went legit years ago."

"Skywalker came from nowhere. I suppose he wouldn't be a suitable companion for a Princess," Mara said coolly. There was a tinge of admiration in Karrde's voice.

"And you think he returned to that 'nowhere' suffering from a broken heart. You could be right but he had a lot to stay for and governments are never keen on useful types disappearing into thin air when they still need them. He probably went on a mission and got himself killed."

"So why was there no public funeral – no memorial services?" she asked astutely. "You don't believe that he crashed his little x-wing while out hunting Imps? People are actually wondering if he was a grand publicity stunt, a decoy – or if he even existed at all."

"Yes, he existed."

Mara was silent for a moment staring at the blank holo-monitor. "I know," she finally whispered. "I saw him once. I was so close but not close enough." She stared down at the desk for a few moments.

"Close enough for what?"

"To kill him."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Mara's apartment**

Mara arranged to rent a modest furnished apartment not too far from the Imperial palace or from Karrde's suite of offices, at his recommendation. She would eventually buy on Coruscant but it had to be the right place. After living most of her formative years in the Imperial Palace itself, nothing was quite good enough.

Sitting down at her desk with a full mug of steaming caf, Mara began to review the information for her meetings with Karrde and his clients. After a couple of hours of business, she decided to take a breather and located the holocube and the pile of recording rods and data chips that Karrde had given her. She had no idea he had so much information on Skywalker and his accomplices but it paid Karrde well to be informed. Selecting a data chip at random, she placed it in the machine. Immediately, lists of files streamed across the screen. Mara formed her lips into an 'oh' shape and whistled silently. Karrde had told the truth, he had more information on the missing Jedi than she would have been able to discover on her own in a year. She should have guessed.

Karrde hadn't been as surprised over her declaration that she'd wanted to kill Skywalker as she would have thought. He knew something but then, he was a clever man, never taking things at face value. Mara didn't fit any mould and Karrde was bound to speculate why. She thought back to yesterday's conversation in the Imperial Museum. She must have let something slip even though she had tried to be so careful. She supposed that telling your new boss you were planning on killing the New Republic's foremost hero in cold blood was perhaps a giveaway.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"That's a strange thing to say, Mara. Why should you want to kill someone you've never even met?"

Mara's eyes turned colder and harder if it was possible. "He destroyed my life."

"In what way?" Karrde probed gently.

"He killed my master."

"Your Master?" Karrde had a horrible suspicion that he had guessed the next part but he was hoping to be wrong. "Your Master was…?"

"The Emperor. I was his hand, his faithful servant and Skywalker killed him."

"You have proof?"

"I saw it through the Force."

"You have the gift…like the Jedi?"

"Not now," Mara replied dully. "I lost the ability when the Emperor died. Sometimes I feel things or sense if there's danger close by but I cannot manipulate things the way that I once could."

"Why are you here with me and not working for some Moff in the remaining imperially controlled territories?"

"Because none of them knew who I was and what I did. My work was of the shadows." Her voice took on a sneering quality. "The empty-headed, hangers-on of the Emperor's court saw me as one of the many concubines and palace dancers. I was far more than they could ever have been."

"Mara…I'm sorry," Karrde tried to halt the bitterness that spilled from her lips.

"The day that he died, I felt his death. I saw what happened – saw Skywalker and Vader turn on my master and kill him. I knew that he had gone. I was preparing myself to go after his murderers when Ysanne Isaard, suspicious of what I was to Palpatine and making her own bid for control, had me incarcerated in the palace dungeons in a cell I'd designed myself." Mara lifted her head and speared Karrde in place with her expression. "They were hawkbats at the rotting corpse of power. I escaped and fled Coruscant. I, who once had wealth, power and prestige now had to leave all that behind and run like a common criminal."

"Come," Karrde ordered quietly and led her from the museum. He caught an air taxi and they rode in silence to where Karrde had his apartment and suite of offices. "I have something I would like to give you," he said as they entered the building and took the turbolift to the top floor.

"There's no need," Mara managed to say, her words emerging from a too dry throat. She couldn't believe that he would hand over such sensitive information even after she had declared her hand.

"I think there is." Karrde palmed the security panel and the door slid smoothly aside.

Mara had an impression of light and luxurious comfort as Karrde led her through a spacious lounge with large windows and a spectacular view of the city to his office.

"Please come in. You will be working here on occasions. I will give you the access codes before you leave."

"It's very…pleasant." Mara could have groaned at how awkward she sounded but Karrde didn't appear to notice.

Moving across plush carpeting, Karrde opened a concealed panel, activated a security code and removed several items from a safe. "Here." He held them out towards her. "This is all the data I have on Luke Skywalker up until three years ago." He then handed her a small chip. "This is information that I have on efforts to locate Luke Skywalker since then."

"When a Jedi wants to disappear he sure can manage to do it," she muttered.

"But he's only a half-trained Jedi. Or so I heard."

"He's still one half too many in my opinion."

Mara took the things from him, her mind numb. It was years since she had talked of her past to anyone and somehow it felt cathartic. She felt as if she'd awakened from a deep sleep or had plunged naked into a cold pool and had become alive again.

"Mara?"

"I work for you now, Karrde," she said as if she'd guessed what he'd wanted to ask her. "I have no place amongst the Imperial faction. I want to live my own life. You can still trust me."

"That's good to know," he said, his face relaxing into a smile. "You're the best second-in-command I've ever had and I would have been sorry to lose you."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Senate Chamber, Coruscant – 2 days later**

Han Solo had mastered the difficult art of appearing interested in whatever was going on while in reality his mind was anywhere but on what was happening at the speaker's podium directly in front of him. Still, he couldn't be seen to be wool-gathering in public. Much of this conference had been beamed across the galaxy to worlds eager to join the New Republic.

He had managed to wangle a place onto the VIP platform as part of Leia's security team and now he wondered if it had been worth the effort. Intergalactic trade routes and how to stimulate them was no longer as vital to him as it once had been. The first hour had admittedly been interesting, the second hour slightly less so. The fourth, fifth and sixth hours had begun to merge into one another. The final speaker, Han was sure, was an expert in his field but had no conception of the vagaries of time. 'Wish we could all live for three hundred years,' he thought gloomily.

A smattering of half-hearted applause roused his fast waning attention and as he looked up into the gallery he caught the eye of a man sitting towards the rear. Han frowned, he knew that face. He sifted through his memory until he found a match. Then he recalled the big ugly freighter at the spaceport and it struck him exactly who the man was. That was interesting…very interesting.

He rubbed his hand over his mouth. "Well I'll be…"

"What is it?" whispered Leia, her fledgling Jedi senses alert as she felt the change in her companion's mood.

"An old…I don't know what exactly to call him. Friend is too cordial – we were never friends. Associate…I never worked with him…my luck wasn't on the up when you met me."

"I remember." Her lips curved in a warm smile. "He's the successful type then?"

"Hey!" Han managed to look injured and then gave his lover a sly grin. "He is very successful… a _trader_ by the name of Talon Karrde."

"I've heard that name before." Leia arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow. "Trader? Try smuggler?"

"Independent operator."

"How did I know you were going to say that?"

"Good clean living?" Han countered, smiling wickedly. "I know…acquaintance. He's one of those." He stretched out his hand and caught hers, giving it a squeeze.

Leia gave a miniscule warning shake of her head as she disengaged her hand and then watched as the speaker filed off the platform to a wave of applause from a relieved audience.

"Where did you get him?" breathed Han incredulously. "…apart from Ragna III."

"Doctor Yarrikin is an expert in his field and it's quite unusual for a member of his species to be so interested in this area of study."

"If you say so but why he had to inflict every little bit of that study on us is beyond my comprehension. The last Yuzzum I saw was at Jabba's."

"Joh Yowza," Leia remembered.

"Yes. He could really sing."

"Yes…loudly. I thought I might have to dance to his music when I first arrived there."

"Lucky for me that you didn't," Han said with a grin. "I would be fighting the whole palace to get to you. That outfit…"

"Really, Han!" Leia exclaimed, but she couldn't help giving him a small smile. "I don't think I would have lasted long as a dancer. I would probably have finished up as rancor food."

"Thankfully that never happened. The Kid's plan worked." The feeling of sadness welling up within him at the mention of Luke's nickname was a surprise. Three years. Three sith-forsaken years and not a word. He had tried to discover where the Kid had gone but all the trails had gone cold. Luke had vanished. Leia had finally told him to pull himself together and stop trailing about the galaxy looking for someone who didn't want to be found. He pushed away his worry and concentrated on the woman by his side. "Sweetheart…I love you." Han's mouth quirked into the cheeky grin Leia loved.

"I know," she murmured. "Go talk to him. I'll wait here. I need to thank Doctor Yarrikin for his most interesting lecture…"

"Most interesting!" Han gave a hoot of laughter.

"Most interesting lecture," she said firmly. "…and the Ithorian Senator who I can just see over there has been trying to contact me for days. This is a piece of good fortune. He is expecting a visit from their ambassador soon."

"Lucky him," Han muttered. "I'll go and talk to Karrde," he decided suddenly as Leia's grin became a glare.

"You do that."

"Karrde's a good man," Han offered. "Very astute and highly intelligent but he's not a man to cross. He could be very helpful towards the New Republic and he won't double cross you on a deal."

"An honest smuggler."

"They do exist."

"I know," Leia said, the corner of her mouth threatening to turn into a smile again.

"We can trust him, I can tell you that. Much of Karrde's work is dealing in information…" Han paused, a faraway expression on his face. "If you want to find out anything, he has sources all over the galaxy. But I'm surprised to see him here."

"Surprised…why?" Leia stared up at the dark haired man in the gallery to find that his gaze was fixed disconcertingly upon her.

"He wants to stay neutral."

Leia frowned. "Neutral," she repeated.

"He trades equally between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant."

"A difficult tightrope to walk," Leia said quietly. "Good luck to him."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	6. Chapter 6

**Out of the Shadows 6**

****

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one.

**Praesitlyn****Cityport****University**** Library **

The head librarian sniffed disdainfully as one of the assistant collection keepers stood anxiously before her. "What do you mean you've discovered some things in a pile of junk you were told to clear?" she questioned sharply, annoyed at the interruption. "There's nothing in that store room but rubbish and I don't know why it wasn't thrown away years ago."

The small Omwati female shook her blue feathery head nervously. "No, Mistress. Most of everything else in the room was exactly that - junk."

"Then why are you coming to me about this?" She let out an exasperated sigh. She was much too busy to deal with the trivialities of the inept.

"I think there's one of the containers you need to examine more closely."

"I have enough to do…"

"But these things I think…belong to the Jedi."

"The Jedi?" the librarian uttered sharply as her piercing eyes speared the hapless assistant.

"Yes, Mistress Yachek."

"Ridiculous."

"No, Mistress. I have researched the history of the Jedi and…"

The tall humanoid woman looked down her long nose at the Omwati and sighed. "That was a rather dangerous occupation to indulge in, Quo Zacx. The Jedi were a danger to the galaxy and the Emperor…"

"Emperor Palpatine is dead," Quo Zacx squeaked bravely. "And the Jedi were good and kind. They believed in equality for all species and there's been a directive from the ruling council of the New Republic. Any information pertaining to the Jedi must be sent to Coruscant." She finished her speech hurriedly in one breath, her whole body trembling. She'd never spoken up to the head librarian in her entire life but her grandfather had met a Jedi once and had said that the man had helped him. It had sparked in the small girl an interest in history. "There is a real Jedi out there in the galaxy now," she said, her chin sticking out stubbornly. "I've seen his picture on the holonet…"

Iloncka Yachet's pale yellow eye's narrowed. Never particularly interested in politics she had, however, been a product of the decaying Old Republic and Palpatine's New Order. "Empire's most wanted most likely," she muttered under her breath.

Quo Zacx had sharp ears and glared at her superior. "We _must _contact Coruscant."

"That rule was there during the Empire. Are you certain this was from the New Republic Council?"

The Omwati stiffened, her chin lifting proudly. "I may not have as many degrees from the cream of the Core World Universities, Mistress, but I can read official communiqués as well as anyone."

The head librarian let the unexpected insolence pass. Quo Zacx had rarely opened her mouth before this. No, Iloncka Yashek longed for a post at one of those prestigious universities and this could be her chance. Under Imperial rule she would not have been considered for such a promotion as she wasn't completely of human descent. She had been allowed to attend the best universities but to teach at one – unlikely. "Contact the head curator immediately. We must confirm that the items are of Jedi origin. Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"I…I did." Quo Zacx stuttered. "I've tried to make three appointments this lunar week to see you but you were unavailable." She had finally resorted to braving Mistress Yashek in her office.

"Oh."

"I read an article that stated the New Republic Government was searching for items of importance to the Jedi lost under the reign of Emperor Palpatine and then this directive came in only three days ago. It has been signed on behalf of Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan." She handed over the message cube.

"And you definitely think that's what you have found - items that could have belonged to the Jedi? You could be mistaken."

"I don't think I am, Mistress. It's all been packed rather haphazardly but carefully too – as if they were in a hurry." Her large dark blue eyes were clear and direct. "Maybe they _were_ in a hurry."

"Well…"

"There are data storage rods and crystal discs that look older than the Clone Wars."

"That doesn't automatically say 'Jedi' to me," the head librarian sneered. "We find antique storage systems every day and often it's some minor noble's household accounts. We must be absolutely sure."

Quo Zacx's lip curled. "There are several lightsabers."

"Lightsabers…Oh." Suddenly, Iloncka Yashek could see her new desk in one of the top Core World learning establishments in her mind's eye.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

**Dagobah **

Luke stared with misgiving at the state of his x-wing. The constant warmth and dampness of the climate did not agree in general with mechanical objects and this showed in the decaying condition of his beloved ship. With a snort of disgust, he pulled something slimy, green and growing from one of the engines and flung it in the direction of the nearest swamp – which wasn't far. He no longer crash landed on the planet but his ship was looking as if he did. He wiped some brown sludge from the snub-fighter's nose and scratched off a little more peeling paint as he did so. His kill markers, he mused thoughtfully, peering at the numerous markings. He'd become an ace on his very first flight which wasn't something that happened very often. Usually the pilots were killed if the battle was as fierce as Yavin and Hoth had been.

He rubbed at the little symbols representing his presence at those very battles and his part in the destruction of the first Death Star and noted how the picture came off on his hands. A sense of loss overcame the young man. A Jedi shouldn't have such things inscribed on his ship but he was proud of what he had been and had achieved. Before all of his discoveries, his joys and his pains, Luke Skywalker had been a pilot first and he had been a good one. Sometimes he wondered what his life would have been like if he had remained a pilot but as Yoda kept reminding him, he could not unlearn what he now knew.

Now he was a different man, a Jedi Knight, and his self-imposed exile was coming to an end. It hadn't been discussed between him and Yoda but Luke sensed that things were about to change. It might be tomorrow or the day after, a month or even another year but the Force was telling him that things were inevitably to change. He saw familiar images in his dreams and unknown faces in his meditations but not once had he seen again the beautiful cold-eyed woman he had first glimpsed on his arrival on Dagobah and he'd been so sure she was important.

Three years, he thought. In all that time he had been off the planet a mere half a dozen times. Either to get supplies or to find pieces of Jedi history that Yoda decreed should return to the Jedi. Luke was going to be the first of the New Order and would need all the help he could get.

The old Jedi had been concerned when Luke had mooted trips off world. But Luke had been adamant. "We need some power packs and I need some droid parts for Artoo and things to keep my ship in good working condition. I can find out many things through the Force but I still need to pick up information. I will have to return to my world one day, Master Yoda. You know that."

"Interfere with your training this will," he had said but Yoda was impressed at Luke's clear-sightedness. The boy had grown up though he still had his faults, was still reckless, still generous and with a heart as open as the skies he still wanted to escape to. Luke Skywalker had many of Anakin's traits but he had much of his mother in him too.

"No, it won't interfere," Luke insisted. "We need these things and the chance to collect possessions that should never have been taken from the Jedi. Its too good a chance to miss. You told me where they were and I will go and get them. It's as simple as that and we need fresh supplies."

"Manage I do with what this planet gives me," Yoda maintained stubbornly.

One of Luke's eyebrows arched cynically. "Maybe, but my human constitution cannot exist on swamp stew and ration bars alone."

Yoda had chuckled and had finally agreed that if Luke was careful, then something different would be appreciated. Fresh fruit and vegetables were not of the dark side.

Of course nothing was ever that simple for Luke but he had managed to complete his tasks without discovery and vanish into the mists once more. He hated clouding minds but it was vital that no bounty hunter or Imperial agent got wind of his whereabouts. Or perhaps more tenacious by far, Han Solo had been scouring the galaxy for him. Luke knew that. He had sometimes felt his family's presence close by him while he slept. They were never far from his heart and mind. He was doing this for them and the children they would one day have. He wanted all children to be able to live free. He didn't know why he was so certain that Han and Leia would have children together; he just was and it felt good.

Han Solo was more thorough than any bounty hunter when it involved those he loved. Luke knew he hadn't accepted the idea of Luke's mission to complete his training. He respected Luke and the powers he had seen him display but had little regard for a hokey religion that had wiped itself out before Luke and Leia were born. He didn't see that Luke needed to learn anything more.

One of Luke's trips had taken him to Sluis Van, a planet only three days away from Dagobah. Coincidentally Han had been there a mere twenty four hours before him. Luke's eyes had darkened at the news displayed over the holonet in the quiet tapcaf he had patronised in the hope of finding a hot meal. He saw Leia in his dreams but it wasn't the same. He had just discovered his sister, only to leave her. It had been hard to do but he had his promises to keep.

Luke wandered around his ship making his final checks before flight. She didn't look like much these days but she had it where it counted. A pang of something bittersweet swept through him. Han had always said something similar about the _Falcon._ He wondered if Han's ship was still being held together with hope and dodgy wiring."I'm going to head towards Sluis Van as usual to pick up supplies and some new parts for the x-wing and then I think I'll head back along the Rimma trade route and see where the Force leads me. It's a tried and tested path."

"Ready to go, are you?" Yoda asked, his sharp gaze assessing the shaggy haired young man standing before him wearing the typical orange flight suit of an alliance pilot. He didn't look like the last hope of the Jedi but Yoda knew that he was that hope.

Luke turned and smiled down at the little green being. "Yes, Master."

"Luke, careful you must be."

"I will, Master." Luke grinned. Yoda never failed to urge him to be cautious. It was as if the old Jedi Master considered him to be…reckless. His smile widened. That was probably true but Luke also knew that Yoda loved him and wanted him to be safe. "I'll see you in a weeks time."

"No longer, Luke. Our time is running out and we still have things to learn."

"You feel that too," whispered Luke. A slight feeling of dread gripped him. Yoda appeared frailer as time passed and Luke knew that now he was the one hiding their presences from the galaxy and not Yoda. The old being was holding on for Luke's sake.

"Longer than expected we have had, young one." Yoda's voice broke into Luke's thoughts. "Glad am I."

"Yeah," Luke swallowed. "Glad I am too…I mean, it's been good."

"Perhaps, a haircut you will have time for on this trip?"

Luke ran his hand through his hair. It now reached well below his shoulders and he'd got used to tying it back. "A haircut and a shave?" he wondered, blue eyes glinting with mischief.

"Have a chin you still do under all that hair."

"It's a good disguise. Makes me look older."

"Age is not all that it appears. My bones ache more than they used to."

"After one of your training sessions Master, so do mine. Seriously, though, if I'm to re-establish the Jedi I need…"

Yoda's heart softened. "A heavy burden placed on you we have. Sure you will succeed with it I am. But wish not away your years. They go without the wishes."

Luke's mouth firmed and he nodded. At times he felt much older than his twenty-five years. He didn't think he would be blessed with nearly nine hundred years of life. "I understand. Artoo…you ready?"

"Luke," Yoda's voice was suddenly urgent. "You will not do it alone."

"At first I will be alone."

"No, your sister have you and I sense that there will be others."

"Others…" Luke stared down at his boots and then back at his Master, a wry smile on his well shaped lips.

"You have learned well, my padawan. The Force is with you."

Artoo Detoo wheeled himself towards Luke and waited. "Up you go, little fella," he murmured. With a casual lift of his hand the droid began to rise and, with a screeching wail of protest, was levitated into the x-wing. "Stop squealing, Artoo. You must be used to this by now."

The droid was not impressed and let Luke know with a cascade of electronic invective.

"Luke… The data and artefacts you are to retrieve are vital for the rebirth of the Jedi. I did not know they still existed."

"But you sensed when they were found."

"Powerful ally is the Force."

"What is so special about these articles?" Luke queried casually. Yoda had been far more eager for him to find these things than usual.

"My old friend and leader of the Jedi Council, Mace Windu held these in his safekeeping for many years and when he was destroyed by the Sith, lost also I thought these were."

"Mace Windu," Luke echoed and immediately a picture of an imposing figure with dark skin and a noble face entered his mind. "I see him," he said.

Yoda nodded with satisfaction at his pupil's ability. He had thought of his old friend and instantly Luke had caught the image and held it. "A great Jedi. As the Sith grew in strength and the Jedi fell, Mace Windu travelled the galaxy and hid our records and our precious artefacts. Who knows what destruction could have been caused if these items had reached the hands of the Sith and Emperor Palpatine himself?"

"What are the items?" Luke asked again.

"Force detectors, data storage rods, thaissen crystals and training manuals. But not certain am I."

Luke had been taught well. He knew what these things did. The Force detectors had been used by Palpatine to weed out Force users but Luke would be able to _discover_ those with Force ability – those he could train. They were powered by thaissen crystals which glowed when in close proximity to Force strong individuals. He'd held a thaissen crystal in his hand on Mimban – the Kaiburr crystal it had been called. It had nearly cost him and Leia their lives. It was also the first time he'd met Darth Vader, fought him and survived. It was the first time that Vader had respected the strength of Luke's own power in the Force.

"Mace kept some things that were sentimental to the Jedi. Toys we used to train the younglings in the crèche, Jedi Credits from Corellia when a Corellian Knight became a Master."

Luke's eyes narrowed. "There's something more. Something you hope survived but aren't certain that it did. Toys can be constructed again. This is something precious."

"Your insight serves you well, young one. Mace had in his possession records of Jedi families gone into hiding and possible recruits. We destroyed every surviving record apart from one. No choice had we. Agents of the Empire were everywhere. Few beings could we trust with such knowledge. The Emperor was powerful with the dark side."

"And this is what you hope could be in this cache."

"Yes…it may even lead us to the identity of the woman you keep seeing," Yoda said consideringly.

Luke coloured. "I don't keep seeing her," he muttered defensively. "She only appeared in my visions once or twice." He had wanted to meditate more on her but somehow he was afraid to do so. Her future, he sensed, was clouded.

"But she has never left your mind, Luke. Once was enough." Yoda sighed. "I've told you before, young one, 'a Jedi should not know love' but that's not your way."

"No," Luke admitted. "And I don't love someone I've never met. How can I?"

"Your father knew love and his downfall that proved to be."

"We're speculating over nothing," Luke protested. "The Jedi should know love and they didn't. That is why they failed my father and he them. We should not be afraid to love – love can be a strength. There are many forms of the emotion and I may never meet this woman. I've seen many beings during my meditations and you have never commented so often on them."

"Perhaps you are right, Luke," Yoda said tiredly but in his eyes was a strange expression as if he knew something that Luke did not. "In motion our futures are but she made a powerful impression on you – a powerful impression. Now go and return as soon as you can."

"What happens if the records you require are lost forever?"

"Then these people were never found and they survived the purges."

"What if we don't find them either?"

"In the Force will we have to trust."

Luke placed one booted foot on the ladder and gave Yoda an unsmiling nod before turning and mounting quickly. The ladder dropped away as Artoo fired up the converters.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

**Somewhere in space – Sluis Sector**

Wedge Antilles was tired of running border patrols and escort duty. It was more than time to head back home but he had several weeks before this current duty stint ended. Things had been quiet for over a month, the routines merely dull, and the occasional pirate raid on supply shipping, nothing more. Even the Empire appeared to be tired of the constant niggling skirmishes they engaged in. He set his course for the return trip to Rogue Squadron's temporary base on Sluis Van and prepared to give the order to the rest of the pilots. He could almost look forward to a month of negotiations with politicians.

"Boss!"

His com crackled to life.

"Hobbie?"

"Something's overheating. I think my coolant coils have cracked. I thought I'd had all of the damage fixed after we had the run in with those pirates."

"So much for the superiority of the Sluis Van techs," he muttered under his breath. "Give me the Verpine any day." Wedge frowned and flicked at a couple of switches pulling up the data from all the squadron. He remembered the incident very clearly. They'd been lucky not to lose anyone. It was something when peace time became more dangerous than the heat of combat but in certain places things had become somewhat lawless with neither the New Republic nor the Empire able to effectively control matters. "What does the diagnostic panel say?"

"It's flashing the red light I usually associate with 'not good'."

"Oh, _that_ red light," Wedge's tone was sardonic. "You know, Hobbie, for a pilot of your experience, can't you be more specific? What about your R2 unit?"

"It's not speaking to me."

"Not again," Wedge groaned. Another temperamental droid! They were supposed to do their assigned function and nothing else. "What did you call him this time…no, don't answer that. I really don't want to know. Get its memory flushed when we return to base. Will you be able to hold on until then?"

"Don't think so, Boss. The red light is looking awfully urgent to me."

"Where's the nearest stopping point from here?" Wedge mused aloud. He could hear the serious note in his friend's voice hidden under the humour.

Hobbie checked the navicomp and breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully they weren't in an uninhabited section of the galaxy or in the middle of some dogfight. "Bpfassh is about sixty light years ahead or…" he paused. "We could try Praesitlyn."

"Praesitlyn. It's closer. Is your engine trouble that serious?" Rogue Squadron's second in command, Tycho Celchu, joined the conversation.

"I think it could just about make it as far as Bpfassh but I wouldn't like to have to aim for Sluis Van. It's just a couple of clicks too far."

"Praesitlyn has a New Republic garrison. A small one but the planet is equipped with a top notch communications centre," Wedge said. "One of the best in this sector as I recall."

"Boss…The R2 unit has finally decided to speak to me. It's beeping furiously. That means things are grim."

"Okay, Hobbie, Praesitlyn it is. Did you all hear that? Wedge broadcast the information to the rest of the unit.

"Sure we did," Janson chimed in. Wedge could hear the smile in his voice. "Trust Derek to break something."

"Who are you calling 'Derek'?" Hobbie muttered, his voice hostile.

"I believe it was the name your mother gave you," Janson taunted.

"Did he have one of those?" Pash Cracken muttered. "I thought he emerged into the galaxy fully formed…"

"Now boys, enough squabbling," Feylis Ardele scolded affectionately, trying to keep the concern from her voice.

"Yes, mother," chanted Janson cheekily.

"Set your navicomp for Praesitlyn, Hobbie," Wedge ordered. "Hobbie, you and Pash come with me and the rest of you head back to Sluis Van with Tycho."

"Copy that, Rogue leader," answered Tycho formally.

Wedge watched as nine x-wings peeled away from their perfect formation and with a blurring of star lines disappeared into hyperspace. "Come on, let's set course for Praesitlyn."

"Already done," Pash Cracken answered. "It's not far; we can do it using sublight engines."

They kept com silence until their courses were set and then Pash asked quietly, "Boss…you going to ask about Luke again?"

"Your father thinks that Luke is dead," Wedge replied slowly. Pash's father, Airen Cracken, was head of the New Republic's intelligence division. "But I promised Han I would ask at any place we visited," Wedge said. "The answer's always the same."

"I don't believe my father thinks that," Pash said. "But he _would_ like to know what happened to him."

"Wouldn't we all. Your father got any ideas, Pash?" Hobbie asked.

"None. He doesn't say anything to me but he wasn't happy when Luke disappeared."

Wedge shrugged, feeling his harness tight against his shoulders. "Luke needed to go. It's a Jedi thing."

"Then we hope he does the Jedi thing and comes back."

Wedge gave a sad smile. "Yeah, his friends miss him. But even if he does come back he won't fly with us. He will be rebuilding the Jedi and that won't be an easy task because he will be doing it on his own and from nothing."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

**Rimma Trade Route**

Luke spent a total of twenty four hours on Sluis Van. In fact, he never left the civilian spaceport. He'd gazed enviously at the workshops the Sluissi had where an entire ship could be overhauled in a matter of hours. They didn't call Sluis Van the starship repair planet of the galaxy for nothing. Luke couldn't afford the credits a service would cost but he knew the vital parts that he needed for his ship and he could do his own work for absolutely no credits at all. Then there was the contentment he felt when working with his hands, fixing his own ship. For an hour or two he could push away the ever approaching, ever increasing burden of the Jedi and just be Luke Skywalker, a farmboy turned pilot who was good with his hands.

Luke paid for the parts he needed and returned to his x-wing. Artoo stood guard faithfully waiting. "Hi there, little fella," Luke greeted his small friend affectionately. "I told you I wouldn't be long."

Artoo blew a sarcastic raspberry.

"I resent that, Artoo. I said I'd be here and I was. So none of this 'you didn't expect to see me for at least another day and covered in bacta patches'. I don't do bacta any more…don't like the taste." Luke stowed his purchases in the aft cargo compartment and pulled out his flight suit. Artoo moaned. "Yeah…it's a little wrinkled. But I'm not expected at any fancy Coruscanti balls today." He pulled on the suit and grimaced at the sight he made but no one was looking at him.

Half an hour later they were airborne. "I'd like to fly manual for a while, Artoo. What? No, just want to have a little fun." He soared past the vast orbital defence stations and immense shipyards ringing the planet, thankful that Sluis Van wasn't one of the Imperial Navy's most vital resources any more. He didn't fancy meeting a star destroyer right now.

"Artoo…once we're clear of domestic traffic, could you lock my s-foils into attack position?"

"Brrr dooweet!" Artoo, secure in his droid socket behind his pilot, tootled a question.

"No, I don't think there's an attack imminent and yes, I know you can't see anything on the scopes. I want to…fly." And for the next hour Luke played in the sky like a boy again, sending the x-wing whirling and spinning as if involved in a fierce dogfight with an invisible enemy. If someone had been watching it appeared as if the tiny craft was dancing.

Luke practised manoeuvres that had kept him safe in all the years of bitter and dangerous fighting whilst an Alliance pilot. Some of the moves he had learned from more experienced pilots and others that had sprung fully formed from his head. There was little Luke couldn't do at the helm of a fighter. After executing a series of rolls and spiralling, corkscrew twists, Luke let rip an exuberant triumphant yell, "Woohoo!" And suddenly there she was inside his head, the beautiful redhead, staring at him with an amused smile on her lips. For the first time she appeared warm, her green eyes glinting with mirth. Who was she? He'd never seen her, apart from inside his head. Was she real?

If Artoo could have laughed and joined in, in an organic fashion such as carbon based life forms did, he would have done so. It had been a long time since he had seen Master Luke so carefree. The faithful little droid wasn't certain the last time he had seen his master happy. He wasn't happy without Princess Leia, General Solo, Chewbacca and even Threepio. Threepio could be strangely illogical and irritating for a droid always so confident that he was right. – even when he was wrong. Artoo decided that he too could suffer from emotions belonging to carbon based life forms. He missed Threepio.

With a last barrel roll Luke finally levelled his ship and began pulling the data from his navicomp. Bpfassh…Praesitlyn…Sullust… Luke paused and went back to the previous name.

_Praesitlyn. _

There was something there. He felt something echo through the Force. "Artoo, have you any information on Praesitlyn? Holos…or data that I might find useful if I'm looking for…stuff?"

The little droid twittered happily, glad to be of use.

"I'm going into a hibernation trance once we make the jump to light speed. Setting co-ordinates for Praesitlyn. We should be there in about twelve hours. Then we'll see what's there. I get the feeling something is."


	7. Chapter 7

**Out of the Shadows 7**

****

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title and for Michele and Licia for taking the time to read.

**Coruscant – Corridor outside the Senate Chamber**

Han Solo plastered a genial smile on his face and walked casually past the departing guests and out into the sunlit, marble tiled corridor. He was certain that he'd seen Talon Karrde in the audience. He quickened his pace, hoping to catch the man before he disappeared. The crowd thinned out and Han could see the elegantly attired smuggler chief talking to a smartly dressed woman. Han ignored the woman – she wasn't Leia. "Karrde," he said loudly as the tall, smartly dressed figure turned and began walking towards one of the exits. "Talon Karrde," he repeated jovially. "I thought it was you."

"You thought correctly," Talon Karrde said dryly turning around. "Hello, Solo." He extended his arm and shook Han's outstretched hand warmly. "Long time."

"Yes – it has been a long time," Han agreed. "Years. Wasn't it during some all-night blaster fight with some ship thieves at the spaceport on Artis VII?"

"Good memory." Karrde's eyes widened at the recall. "I'd forgotten that. Not one of my finer moments."

"Nor mine," Han admitted. "I spotted a ship at the spaceport the other day and I wondered if it was the _Wild Karrde_."

"We saw you."

"Oh! You're still in the business?" Han queried, drawing Karrde into a quiet alcove, wondering why he should have felt surprised that his interest had been noticed. There were New Republic personnel about and, even as innocent as it was, he didn't want his conversation with Karrde to be overheard.

"Of course – I enjoy it…and you?"

Han quirked an eyebrow. "You're one of the most intelligent men I know. Do I need to answer that question?"

Karrde chuckled. "No."

"I'm sure you have complete files on all of us and no, I'm not what I once was. Hell, I still miss it but I wasn't making it pay as you probably would have guessed. My last er…sojourn at Jabba the Hutt's as a carbonite wall ornament put me off smuggling for life."

"I can understand that, although becoming a General in the Rebel Alliance could also be construed as foolishness."

"Some things are worth fighting for." Han glanced back in the direction of the senate hall. "Or perhaps some people." He gave a rueful smile and rubbed his hand across his forehead. "Karrde…you still in the information _gathering_ business?"

Karrde's pale eyes became more intent. "In what way?"

"I know you have a lot of contacts – places and people off the beaten track. I need information and I'm willing to pay for it."

"Of course, but…"

Han glanced over his shoulder and lowered his voice. "I can't talk now. Hey there, sweetheart," he said brightly as Leia approached, serene in a blue gown with an off-white over-tunic, her hair drawn back from her face in an intricate style of coils and braids. "You finished quicker than I expected. Leia, this is Talon Karrde."

Talon bowed before taking Leia's hand and kissing it. "Your Highness," he murmured, staring at the beautiful face up close for the first time, taking in the intelligence that shone from her dark eyes and the wary reserve of someone who found it difficult to trust others at face value.

"Talon Karrde," Leia said politely. "I've heard a lot about you."

"All good I hope," Karrde replied smoothly.

"It's certainly intriguing," Leia confessed, liking the cultured looking man that stood before her. He didn't fit the image of a smuggler chief. But she had learned long ago to look beyond appearances.

Captivated by the presence of the woman before him, Karrde murmured, "I have some mementos of Alderaan that I collected in my travels. I wondered if you might accept them."

"Things from Alderaan…" she said tremulously. "I am trying to gather these memories together for my…my people. We can never bring Alderaan back but I would like to remember her." Leia lifted her head. "We must meet to work out terms."

"I would give you these as a gift," Karrde said, surprising himself. He didn't usually do acts of charity.

"That is most kind of you but I think perhaps I can see a use for your services and if we have a mutually agreeable contract between us…"

"Your Highness, I think you have a deal."

"I would be grateful if you do come across…in your travels…artefacts from my lost home…"

"I will contact you tomorrow to arrange a meeting."

Leia, a smile on her lips, glanced at Han who was shaking his head in disbelief. "Come on, Highnessness. Karrde…we'll be in touch."

Karrde nodded and stepped back to let Solo and the princess leave but as they did so, Leia felt something and she couldn't describe what it was – an instinct – _a feeling_? Could it be the Force at work? Without Luke to guide her it was difficult to tell but, as Han kept telling her, she had to trust her own instincts. They had guided her well in the past. She turned her head and met the sharp green gaze of a beautiful woman with red-gold hair. Leia stretched out her fledgling Force senses and got a sharp shock as barriers slammed against her. Leia wasn't sure what had just happened but she would meet this woman again. She was certain of it and there was one more thing that gave her pause – Leia was sure that the woman could use the Force.

"Sweetheart?"

"It's nothing, Han," Leia said as she let Han lead her away from Karrde. But just as they reached the exit doors Leia glanced over her shoulder and observed Talon Karrde and the woman leaving together by one of the side exits. Who was she and why did she seem so familiar?

"Are you going to set up a meeting with him?"

"I might – if his contacts are as good as you say they are," Leia murmured.

"They're the best."

"He wasn't what I expected."

"No. But that is Talon Karrde."

"Who was the woman with him?"

"Woman?" Han said, brow furrowing as he tried to remember. "What woman?"

"There was a woman with him."

"Can't say that I noticed." Han grinned roguishly. "But then I only have eyes for you."

"Nerf," she muttered rolling her eyes.

"And I thought I was being charming?"

"Charming nerf then," replied Leia dryly.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Two days later, Leia Organa sat in the tiny office she been allotted for use in the temporary headquarters of the New Republic Government. The city and the galaxy were in a mess and the very least of her problems was somewhere to rest her head and do her work in peace.

"Incoming message for Princess Leia Organa," See-Threepio intoned solemnly. "And I have your afternoon refreshment." He was taking his duties as Leia's temporary secretary during the Lady Winter's absence very seriously indeed.

Threepio was trying to do his best but it was times like these that Leia missed Winter, her companion and friend from childhood. Winter was on a mission for the New Republic and not even Leia had any idea where she was. General Cracken had said it was on a need to know basis and better that Leia did not know. 'Does he think I would forbid Winter to go?' Leia thought. 'She's an adult and even I know that she's good at her job. Having a perfect memory would indeed be beneficial.'

She smiled at the golden protocol droid as he tottered stiffly into the office carrying a tray with her customary caf. "Thank you, Threepio. Leave it there," Leia said as she cleared a space on her crowded desk for the tray. She needed to get a proper secretary. Threepio did his best but…

As the droid shuffled out, Leia picked up the message chip lying on the tray and inserted it into the player. The picture shimmered into focus and a thin-faced, serious woman with yellow bird-like eyes began to speak.

_"Greetings, Your Royal Highness. I am Iloncka Yashek, Head Librarian at the __Praesitlyn__University__ Library. Seven days ago we found a sealed wooden box in one of our back storerooms which we believe to have been the property of the Jedi."_

Leia paused the holo recording. It had to be a sign.

Two months ago Leia had woken up alone in her cabin on some New Republic cruiser, the name of which she couldn't even remember and vowed not to be alone any longer. It had also been just days after a horrendous fight with Han over some minor noble who had paid Leia a bit of attention – treating her as a woman for once rather than a political droid. It was then, tired and alone, she had missed her brother's presence more than ever. But she would not search for him unless she was sure his life was threatened and not once had she felt Luke's demise in any shape or form. How she wished that Han could be as convinced as she was that Luke was well and happy and would return to them soon.

Leia reached for her mug of caf and let the welcome flavour of the brew filter through her - real caf instead of the watery substitute they'd had to drink while on the run from the Empire. She started up the recording again.

_"I am not an expert on the Jedi_," the woman paused and held up something in front of the holo-imager._ "But I am sure you recognise a lightsaber? There are six contained within the box - plus books, storage rods and other such data devices."_

Leia pressed her com unit. "Threepio, I want you to get the Praesitlyn University Library…no, wait!"

"Wait, Mistress Leia?" Threepio's tinny voice echoed through the com confusedly. "But you told me to…"

"Let me think, Threepio. Where is Praesitlyn?"

"Sluis Sector, Mistress."

"I need a liaison officer to go there and negotiate for this find. We don't have any of the big cruisers there do we…? Damn!" Leia shook her head as she realised what she had said. She was picking up many habits from Han and one of them was a selection from his more colourful language choices.

"Rogue Squadron are currently operating in the Sluis Sector, Mistress Leia. They are finishing their tour of duty very soon and I dare say are looking forward to returning home."

Leia's mouth dropped open in surprise. "What? That's where… Contact Commander Antilles."

But when the reply came, it wasn't the face of one of her brother's greatest friends and the man he'd flown the most missions with. "Captain Celchu?" Leia murmured in surprise.

"Your Highness." Tycho Celchu was an Alderaanian who had defected to the Rebellion after Alderaan had been destroyed. Leia also suspected that the solemn, green eyed man was more than fond of her aide and confidant, Winter, but neither of them had ever said anything. Leia knew that Tycho Celchu still regarded her very much as his Princess. What would he think if he knew who she really was? Not the daughter of Bail Organa but of Darth Vader – Anakin Skywalker. Yes, she could admit it now but the Vader part was still difficult. Anakin Skywalker connected her more with Luke. Yes, _she_ could live with that but could the rest of the galaxy?

"Where's Wedge?"

"Praesitlyn," Tycho said, a grin transforming his serious features.

"Praesitlyn!" Leia echoed, her face showing her surprise. "He's on Praesitlyn?"

"Hobbie's doing his level best to try and blow up his x-wing."

"Not Janson?"

"No, he's being rather circumspect this time. After that last mission with the…you remember?"

"I remember." Leia chuckled softly.

Tycho nodded. "I think he still remembers the talk first Admiral Ackbar and then Wedge gave him. But Hobbie's ship got hit in our last major skirmish with some pirates and he says that it hasn't been right since. The engine was overheating rather too much while we were out on patrol. So they flew to the nearest stop off point to er …effect repairs."

"Are they still there?"

"Should be. We only just got back to base about an hour ago."

"Can you get Wedge to contact me?"

"Yes, of course."

"Immediately…and tell him to stay on Praesitlyn," Leia ordered before swiftly cutting the connection. She pursed her lips thoughtfully for a moment then hit the com. "Threepio…could you get the University Library on Praesitlyn for me please?"

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

She looked up at the man making the cramped office appear ever smaller. "What is it, Han?"

Han Solo had the sneaking suspicion his lover was holding out on him and had been for three years. "You tell me, sweetheart."

Leia sighed. Only Han could make an endearment sound like an insult. "I don't know what you are talking about," she declared, which was the truth. She didn't know what had got the Corellian riled up this time.

"This." He held up the piece of flimsy as if it were something foul.

"What is that?" she asked but suddenly inside she knew.

"This…communication. Any Jedi articles found are to be collected and sent to Coruscant. It's signed on behalf of Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan." He put both hands on the desk and leaned in towards her.

"Don't try and intimidate me, Han. It doesn't work."

"Doesn't work!" he echoed. "When did this go out?"

"Two…three days ago. I can't remember. It wasn't my idea but I think it's a good one."

"Do you know where Luke is?" Han demanded.

Leia looked startled and wouldn't quite meet Han's eyes. "No…you know I don't."

"Is that the truth?"

"Of course it is," she whispered. "I want my brother home with me as much as you do. If I knew where he was I would tell you."

"So this is a ploy to bring him out of hiding? Someone high up wants a tame Jedi. You know that Luke disappeared precisely because he didn't want to be used?"

"Yes…no – he left to complete his training. The New Republic needs the Jedi and Luke is the only way we have of bringing the order back but he will be a free agent."

"Yeah, right," Han muttered disbelievingly. He'd been upset at the way Luke had suddenly disappeared from the Alliance but since then, he'd actually suspected that Luke had got out in time. Then there was the other little matter of Luke and Leia's parentage. Leia still refused to tell anyone. If Luke returned, he would bet his dejaric table on Luke wanting to come clean with the information.

"I'm trying to find things that he might need when he does return. Palpatine destroyed the Jedi but they hid Luke and me. What else did they succeed in concealing?"

"He could be dead, sweetheart. He could be ill, imprisoned and we haven't heard one cheep from him in three years. He said he would keep in touch."

"He has kept in touch," Leia said, staring down at her hands.

"And you never told me!" Han's voice rose up in disbelief. He turned away abruptly and stared out of the window. "Why…"

"It's not in the way that you think." Leia's voice was gentle. "I know he's alive. I just get a feeling inside me and I know."

Han didn't turn around. "You're going to have to do better than that."

"What else can I do – it's the truth."

"From a certain point of view, huh?"

She stood up and walked around the desk and laid her head against Han's shoulder. "Please, Han."

"I'm going to find him," Han vowed darkly, shrugging away from her, ignoring the hurt look on her face. "Find him and warn him that he needs to keep his wits about him when he returns. I won't let the Kid be used, Leia. Not by you or the New Republic."

"Then find him," Leia said bitterly. "I know you've already tried. You're not the only one."

"You're saying you searched for him too? When was that?" His voice dripped with sardonic humour. "I can't recall you telling Wedge and the Rogues to keep a look out for your brother. I can't remember you scouring every spaceport in the hope that he'll suddenly turn up. We have to find him and soon. He's Luke. He shouldn't be out there on his own. Every time he goes out alone he comes back in a bacta wrap."

"He's not on his own. Yoda is with him." Leia's hand flew to her mouth as the words escaped.

"Yoda!" Han stared at her as if she'd grown two heads. "Yoda!"

"Luke's Jedi Master. He was going to return to Yoda but said that the old Jedi was sick – probably dying."

"Yoda," Han muttered again. "I know who Yoda is. Luke spoke of Yoda back on Hoth…and Obi Wan and Vader. The night we nearly lost him in the blizzard after the wampa attacked him. I remember now." He shivered, remembering the bone numbing cold and sense of despair he'd felt as he'd tried to find Luke in the snow. "Stang! That seems so long ago. How do you know he got there?"

Leia's face relaxed as if an incredible sense of calm had consumed her. "Just a feeling…a whisper while I sleep but it's enough."

Han's voice cracked. "Well, it's not enough for me – not anymore."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

**Praesitlyn Cityport**

Luke Skywalker pulled his Jedi cloak about his shoulders and tugged the hood over his head. No one knew him here or would be looking for him here but he didn't want to take any chances. He grinned. Maybe he was being somewhat presumptuous but his face had adorned a lot of security offices and Imperial holo shows such as in 'Empire's Most Wanted'. Still, that was three years ago. Who would recognise him now?

This was one of his regular haunts – one of the many planets dotted along the Rimma Trade Route. He either came here or to Bpfassh or even Sluis Van every three or four months. Praesitlyn was closer to Dagobah and Sullust even closer but, for a human, the latter's atmosphere made things more difficult. Luke liked to vary his destination – didn't want to get into a regular routine and more importantly didn't want to get noticed.

He had meditated in the small, inexpensive boarding house near to the spaceport he had chosen for its convenience and careful anonymity. Something teased at his mind. There would be answers here, he thought.

"Artoo." Luke opened his eyes and stared into the corner of his room where the little droid had hooked himself up to one of the computer ports. "I'm looking for a large building with an elegant frontage. Looks like a museum or a library. Something like those pictures we saw of places on Alderaan…"

Artoo powered up his holo and began showing a selection of images for his master to choose from.

"Wait…yes, Artoo. That one." Luke grinned. It made sense for once. He was looking at a holo of the university library. Luke jumped to his feet and called his black Jedi style cloak to his hand. "You coming, Artoo?"

The little droid replied indignantly that he was indeed coming. Did his master think that Artoo trusted him in a strange, possibly dangerous place on his own? Absolutely not. The message was delivered in a way, with a series of strident beeps, which left Luke in no doubt as to his faithful companion's intentions.

"Okay, come on. We'll need to stop by the x-wing…just to check it's okay…and then find this place. Master Yoda is so sure that there are things for me to find here."

Artoo beeped a question.

"Well, little fella, he didn't actually say it was here."

Artoo moaned. He knew what was coming.

"But I have a feeling…"

**Spaceport**

Wedge Antilles eased from his cockpit and jumped lightly off the end of the ladder. Looking around him, he pulled off his helmet. The three x-wings sat comfortably in the large docking bay he had managed to locate. Pash Cracken, his flame red hair standing on end had already managed to unload some of his gear and his portable com centre.

As Wedge paced the docking bay, Hobbie and Pash were standing around the holo-screen they'd already managed to rig up and muttering quietly.

"Any luck, guys?" Wedge asked.

"Think so, boss," Pash answered. "We managed to contact the local Alliance representative and he's sending some people round immediately."

"That's what I call service," offered Hobbie, grinning darkly. "Then we can find somewhere to relax until it's fixed and before you can say 'Coruscant', we're on our way back to base." His expression changed to that of a scowl. "Yeah! And I'm Janson's mother."

"Boss…" Pash called, ignoring Hobbie's pessimism. "There's a call in from Tycho."

"Good. So there were no more problems returning to base," Wedge said, his mind relieved as he moved to take the call. The New Republic fleet had been stretched very thinly around the galaxy and resources were tight. The amount of flight time and distance that the Rogues had covered lately were evidence enough.

"I don't know about problems but Tycho has this look…" Pash shrugged. "I've seen it often enough. Something's up."

"Antilles," Wedge barked as he moved into range of the temporary com system.

"Wedge?"

"Tycho."

The Alderaanian pilot was all business. "I've just had a call from Princess Leia."

"Leia?" Wedge straightened his back.

"Did you read the missive that went galaxy wide a few days ago?" Tycho asked.

Wedge frowned. "No…"

"The Jedi one?" Pash sat next to Wedge on one of the packing crates Hobbie had positioned around the tiny holomonitor. "I read that."

Tycho nodded. "Luke's been gone for so long…"

"Leia trying to flush him out of hiding?" asked Hobbie, leaning over Pash to talk to Tycho. "He's been gone long enough."

Pash considered his comrades' words. "I think she misses him – hell, we all do. It's not the same without the Commander."

"No, it's not. But he went for a reason," said Wedge slowly. Luke was his friend; they'd flown against the first Death Star together. He knew how much recreating the Jedi Order meant to his friend and Wedge, more than some of the others, understood that Luke had to leave to do it.

"The Jedi," said Tycho.

"Luke is the Jedi," Wedge said slowly. "It's the only thing important enough to take him away from us."

"I think the Princess has a job for you and it's something to do with the hunt for Jedi artefacts," Tycho deduced.

"Maybe they found something around this sector or heard rumours of something," Pash speculated, green eyes intent on the monitor.

"Well, the Princess got this strange look on her face when I said you'd stopped on Praesitlyn. In fact, she ordered you to stay there."

"I'd better see what she wants." Wedge grinned. "Okay, Tycho. I'll be in touch."

"Sure, boss. Over and out."

Hobbie frowned as he checked his chrono. "Where's the team of mechanics I was promised? If I had the parts I could have got started already. Sooner it's fixed…"

"Call Coruscant for me, Pash." Wedge walked over to Hobbie's snubfighter and flipped open one of the panels. He gave a low whistle. "You fried this bird really good, Hobbie."

The other pilot winced as he tugged at a piece of blackened wiring. "Tell me about it," he said mournfully. "It doesn't look good."

"Wedge." Pash Cracken moved a powerful looking transmitter into position. "This should be strong enough to contact Coruscant." He checked the signal and grinned. "It's reading loud and clear."

"I sometimes think you're wasted as a pilot, Cracken. You should be…"

"Working with my father?" Pash interrupted, shaking his head. "Nope. One Cracken in intelligence is enough for the New Republic. I love the old man dearly but…" He shook his head again. "We'd come to blows within minutes if we were involved in the same job."

Hobbie stared at Pash assessingly. "It's the hair," he announced. "The colour. You know what they say about beings with hair that particular shade of red."

"My hair isn't red," snapped Pash.

"So what colour is it?"

"Auburn."

"Good day, gentle-being," Luke murmured politely to the information droid, standing purposely directly in front of its viewer. "I am here researching information on the Jedi. I was wondering…" He waved his hand airily, "…if you could help?" Pity the Force didn't work on droids but if he stood right in front of the droid's optical sensors, Artoo could find the nearest computer jack.

Artoo waited for his master's signal and wheeled himself towards one of the nearest computer sockets behind the information desk. There wasn't a computer yet he'd been unable to interface with.

"The Jedi!" The soft voice of a small blue-skinned Omwati female interrupted Luke's chat with the information droid. She walked forward and leaned against the counter. "I'll deal with this Cee-Zee."

"Can _you_ help me?" Luke asked. "It's for a study I'm doing. My exams…" He resisted the impulse to lower his hood. He didn't want to risk the chance that he might still be recognised – even out here. It was more than possible even after three years. "And I have been asked to…"

"It's a strange coincidence that brings you here today," she said. "I can't ever recall anyone ever asking for information about the Jedi and today…"

Luke peered at her identification. It stated that she was one of the research assistants and her name was Quo Zacx. "In what way?" Luke asked but, with a careful glance over his shoulder, he could see Artoo doing a sort of mad dance on three wheels without trying to look too conspicuous. His little friend had just made an important discovery.

"We think we found some Jedi articles in a cupboard at the back of a storeroom we had to clear. I don't think anything's been done in that room for about twenty years."

"Really?" Luke tried to project excitement into his voice but found that he didn't have to. So that was what Artoo was getting so agitated about. He had to be thankful that the little droid hadn't gone squeaky as well. "You're kidding me."

"No." She lowered her voice. "I shouldn't be telling you about this. It's probably top secret but I've always been interested in the Jedi and no one else has."

Luke brushed the Omwati female's presence but found no answering resonance in the Force. She wasn't Force strong – a pity. "You have?"

"All the stories I've read about them talked about how they fought for peace and justice. They were good people. I think the Emperor was wrong. If he hadn't been dead I would never have admitted that but…"

"He is so…you can."

"You're so sure?"

"I am."

The woman smiled and Luke could see that she was young…maybe as young as he was except that he didn't feel young – not any more. He'd seen more than this girl ever would.

"Can I see?" Luke asked hesitantly. "I know that this is a lot to ask but…"

"Quo Zacx." She held out a delicate blue hand.

"Luke," he said, pressing hers. "I'm pleased to meet you, Quo Zacx."

"Mistress Yashek is not around, so I guess it's all right," she confided. "Just don't tell her."

"Your…superior?"

Quo Zacx rolled her eyes. "Everyone's superior. She's speaking to the New Republic Council right now."

"The New Republic?"

"They want the artefacts."

Luke frowned. Was it Leia who wanted these things? If it was Leia then that was fine – she could have them because she would look after them for him. But if not… "What do you have?"

"Lightsabers." Her eyes shone.

"The symbol of the Jedi," Luke whispered, longing to see and study the weapons. "Could I see?" Luke repeated. "Please."

"Have you identification?"

A wry smile crossed Luke's lips as he lifted his hand, moving it in a circular motion. "You don't need to see my identification."

"I don't need to see your identification," she said in a strange stilted fashion.

"Thanks," Luke murmured. "It's all in order."

"It's all in order." She smiled. "Follow me, Luke."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**


	8. Chapter 8

**Out of the Shadows 8**

****

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks as always to Rhea for the title suggestion and to Licia and Michele for reading it through

**Coruscant**

Leia Organa tapped her manicured fingers on the desk waiting for the connection to come through. "Come on, Wedge," she muttered. "What's keeping you?"

The swirling pattern on the screen in front of her finally coalesced into the familiar face of Rogue Squadron leader Wedge Antilles. "Your Highness," he said formally.

"Hello, Wedge." Leia gave a relieved smile.

The pilot grinned, his tired face relaxing visibly. "It's good to see you, Leia. It's been a while since we last spoke."

"It has. Things are so busy right now."

"I'm sure you didn't contact me just for a chat," Wedge commented sardonically. "We do have an x-wing in need of repair. Hobbie fried its insides."

Leia's mouth twitched in something that might have been the beginnings of a smile. "You flight jockeys are rather too hard on your ships. No – no time for a chat. I can't remember the last time I did have the luxury of being able just to pass the time of day with someone. I've got an urgent request," she said. "I need you to go and pick something up for me on Praesitlyn. Rather convenient of Hobbie killing his ship like that. If you could get one of the Rogues to routinely have a malfunction on a planet I need something from, then we could have regular conversations."

Wedge raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure the high command would be too happy about that. Is there a security issue or is this any old article? Do I need back up? I only have Hobbie and Pash with me right now."

"There shouldn't be a big problem – at least, I don't think there should be. It's a collection of Jedi items which have surfaced in the back of a storeroom in the university library on Praesitlyn. Imagine my surprise when Tycho said you were visiting that very world."

"Coincidence is an amazing thing."

"It's not coincidence, Wedge. There's more than that at work. According to the library, the box containers lightsabers and books." 'It has to be the Force', she thought. 'It's time to collect all the information out there…for Luke'.

"What do I have to do?"

"Just go and collect the…box, container…whatever it is. They have been warned that someone from the New Republic will be arriving. The head librarian is a rather severe woman – Iloncka Yashek - but she's apparently good at her job. I will contact her to give her your details."

"Duly warned," Wedge said with a grin. "And then?"

"Rogue Squadron have orders to head straight back to Coruscant."

Wedge's dark eyes widened. "But…We have another three weeks of duty before…"

"That's been changed. Once you pick up whatever Mistress Yashek has found, I want you to bring it straight to me. I should be on Coruscant for the next few weeks."

"Well, it doesn't really matter to us where we go. Coruscant's just another place. It's not home."

Leia was surprised. "It's not home?"

"Home is where my people are. My family are gone – the pirates hitting Gus Treta saw to that. My sister…who knows. I have a new family – Rogue Squadron."

"Actually," Leia said thoughtfully. "I agree with you. Alderaan was my real home and it can never be replaced. Home is with Han, Chewie and…and Luke."

Tactfully, Wedge ignored the small wobble in Leia's voice as she mentioned Luke. "I'll go and collect your Jedi stuff. Hobbie's ship should be fixed some time soon. Someone from the local garrison is coming to help with the replacement parts." He gave a wry grin. "I guess Coruscant is where I have an apartment. Can't remember the last time I slept in it."

"Yes, the couch in my office is quite comfortable too. I seem to spend more time on it than in the perfectly good bed I have at home." Leia's smile was sympathetic as she cut the connection. She looked at the couch with something approaching fondness – at least she managed to sleep on it. Without Han, her apartment was empty and she preferred to stay where things were happening. Once security finished checking the thousands of rooms in the Imperial Palace for any little surprises the Empire might have left them, Leia would probably take an apartment in this building. It would be convenient.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

****

**Praesitlyn****University**** Library**

Quo Zacx breathed a sigh of relief as she spotted the tall figure of Iloncka Yashek disappearing into her office and the door clicking shut behind her. "This way, Luke," she said, motioning him along the length of a door-lined corridor before ushering him into a dusty room filled with rubbish bags and boxes of what appeared to be obsolete junk ready for collection.

"You're sure it's alright to show me this?" Luke stifled a sneeze, as the dust tickled his nostrils.

"I want to." Quo Zacx couldn't explain why she wanted to but she did. There was something about this stranger that made her trust him. "This is where we found it. We're updating some of the systems and need this room so I was told to start clearing the rubbish. Perhaps we should have moved the box somewhere safer but we kept it in here because we've nowhere else. And who would look in a room full of junk?"

"Who indeed."

"No one has for at least twenty years. It's a dumping ground." Quo Zacx waded her way past the bags of rubbish, battered filing cabinets and what appeared to be an upturned chair with only three legs, and carefully opened a corner cupboard. "There were two wooden boxes found but one of them was empty," she said quietly. Gingerly, she eased one container from its space on the shelf. Disturbed dust motes danced in the weakened light given by grimy windows. "This box," she pronounced with satisfaction, "…on the other hand, is anything but empty."

Luke stared at the battered wooden box, his mouth dry. "Boa wood," he stated with certainty, his hands lightly tracing the carvings on the lid, brushing years of neglect from its surface. It was much smaller than the trunk he had inherited from Obi-Wan but had been made by a similar craftsman – maybe even the same one. This was part of his history and his destiny. Carefully he lifted the lid and stared, fascinated, at the contents of the box. It was just as Quo Zacx had said - lightsabers, some data rods and other storage devices and a couple of books. Yoda would know what to do with the items. It was all that Luke could do to stop himself from reaching inside and examining everything in minute detail but now was not the time or place.

"I wasn't sure what material it was made of. I only thought that it seemed to be old."

"Thank you," Luke said, his manner grave. "You do realise that I'll have to take this with me."

Quo Zacx stared at him as if she was seeing him for the first time – the serious, bearded face with intense blue eyes under the enveloping hooded cloak just like... Then the import of what he was saying sank in. "But you cannot!" she exclaimed. "They are sending someone for it."

"They?" Luke raised an eyebrow.

"A representative from the New Republic."

"I have come for this," he said, his words and steady gaze compelling.

"You…" she mumbled, wondering what she should do. "You would steal it?"

"I wouldn't be stealing it. This belongs to the Jedi."

"I can't see why, unless…"

"I am Jedi." Luke pushed his hood back. "This belongs to the Jedi," he repeated. "It shouldn't be given to governments who will hold our heritage as a ransom for our skills and abilities. If we let them do that then the order is finished before it is reborn. The Jedi Order must be independent, able to help whosoever it chooses."

"Then take it." Quo Zacx said, making her decision instantly. "How do we know who in the New Republic wants this stuff? It belongs to the Jedi after all and you are Jedi aren't you." It wasn't a question. She could feel that there was something different about this young man – something almost other-worldly. She knew she could trust him which was strange as she rarely trusted anyone apart from her closest friends.

"I don't want you to get into bother over this and there's a good chance that you will," Luke said regretfully. "I will have to take away your memory of me. This is the only way."

"Oh." Her face fell.

"I cannot let you take any blame for this. You might not remember this but your interest in the Jedi will remain. Whatever you learn about Jedi history, keep it for me. One day soon I will return."

"I will find out as much as I can," she promised. "Luke…do you have a lightsaber?" She had to know if she was right. It had all became so clear. She knew who he was and her heart trembled at the thought of being able to help this man.

He smiled. "Of course but you'd guessed that – hadn't you?" And from his belt his saber unhooked and flew into his hands, igniting in a blaze of green power. He threw a flimsy-board tube up into the air and cut it into several pieces with the buzzing weapon. "The symbol of a Jedi Knight," Luke said, as he shut the saber down. "It shouldn't be used for displays like that. My teacher would say that I was showing off. A lightsaber is not a toy and shouldn't be used lightly."

"I appreciate you letting me see it, thank you." She chewed on her lip, thinking hard, and then pointed at the other box giving Luke a mischievous smile. "We should fill the empty box. Pack it with papers and some old useless data rods. It will give you some more time."

Luke's smile matched hers. "Good idea."

Quickly they set about the task and then placed the box back in the cupboard. Finished with their subterfuge, Luke gathered up the box of artefacts and they returned to the main corridor where Artoo was waiting for them. The little droid beeped an enquiry.

"I have it, Artoo. Could you head back to the spaceport and get the ship prepped for takeoff? Thanks and Artoo..."

Artoo spun his domed head and trained his optical sensor on his master.

"Keep a low profile, little fella. I don't want you getting into trouble."

Artoo blew a disdainful raspberry, put down his third leg and wheeled himself out of the front entrance.

"Your droid is very disrespectful," Quo Zacx said in surprise.

"He has a mind of his own," Luke admitted. "And I wouldn't change him. We've been together a long time." He stood clutching the box, slightly apprehensive all of a sudden. "Do you think I could exit out the back? I have this feeling that I shouldn't go the way that Artoo did."

"Come on, Jedi Sky…"

Luke shook his head, placing one finger against his lips. "Just Luke." He clutched the box tightly to his chest once more. So much for the hope that many in the galaxy would have forgotten his existence.

"There's a fire door…security entrance at the far end of this corridor. There's no holocam on it either."

"Some security door," Luke commented.

"We're in the middle of upgrading – it's on the list of things to do," Quo Zacx replied shortly. "Lucky for us. I can't quite believe that I'm doing this. Quick…this way."

They made their way swiftly along the corridor to the exit the Omwati had indicated. Quo Zacx disabled the alarm and opened the door. The watery sunlight hit their eyes and they squinted into what was a small courtyard containing several dilapidated speeders.

"I hate doing this but…" Luke sighed. "I cannot let you remember that I've been here. It will be discovered soon enough."

"I understand although I would wish to remember."

"You will one day."

"I would do anything to help the Jedi."

"Why?" Luke was genuinely interested yet perplexed that his calling made so many fear or admire what he could do.

"The Jedi were good and kind. They helped beings without thought of reward or glory. My grandfather told me that he met one once…tall with dark skin and a wise face. The Empire did not inspire such loyalty – it brought fear, not devotion."

"Not everyone agrees with you, Quo Zacx. The Empire turned the Jedi into pariahs."

"The Jedi will rise again."

"I hope so and you will have played a part in that growth." Luke placed the box on the floor beside his feet and leant forward, his hands touching the wispy blue feathered curls at her temple. "Goodbye, Quo Zacx, and thank you. May the Force be with you."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

As Luke left by one entrance, Wedge Antilles, Pash Cracken and Hobbie Klivvian entered by another and were immediately taken to the head librarian's office. The dean of the University had also been summoned and was waiting for them.

Hobbie groaned and rubbed his hands on the pants of his uniform, hissing into Pash's ear, "Why does being a pilot in the best fighter squadron in the galaxy mean that I have to spend so much time pressing my hand against other beings' clammy flesh in the interests of politeness?"

"You have a gift for it?" whispered back Pash.

"Funny. It's not only all the bowing and handshaking that gets me; it's the making inane remarks to some weird being in a fancy suit."

"Goes with the job and, as I said, you have a gift for making inane remarks," Pash muttered.

"That's not me – that's Janson," Hobbie retorted.

"If we weren't in Rogue Squadron that would be worse," he said. "Much worse. Think what would happen if we were in a B-wing squadron. Sitting ducks."

"True. What's a duck?"

"Never mind. We need to let Wedge do the wheeling and dealing. He's the commander and that's one of reasons they promoted him."

"I thought it was his age plus he lasted against two Death Stars?"

"That's a consideration. He must be the bravest although you wouldn't know to look at him. We'll wait outside – act as his security."

"Good idea."

They positioned themselves in a parade ground stance on either side of the office door. Wedge glared at them but reluctantly followed Iloncka Yashek into the room.

"This is Quo Zacx," Iloncka Yashek announced, her yellow eyes gleaming as the Omwati female warily entered the room. "She is one of our research assistants and found the cache of Jedi items hidden in one of our store rooms."

Wedge bowed, his dark eyes taking in the slight, Omwati female. She appeared distracted - even dazed. "Are you well, young mistress?"

"I don't know." She frowned and rubbed her forehead. "Things seem very strange."

"You should sit down," Wedge urged. Had she gone a paler blue? It was difficult to tell.

"No, I'll go and get the container," she murmured and slipped from the room, past the waiting pilots.

"Who was that?" asked Hobbie.

Wedge stood at the office door. "A research assistant by the name of…Quo Zacx?" he looked to Iloncka Yashek for confirmation. "She found whatever it is we have to take back to Coruscant."

Quo Zacx hurried down the corridor but as she neared the store, a figure slipped from one of the reading rooms and followed her.

She manoeuvred around the piles of debris waiting to be carted away until she got to the back of the room where the cupboard was situated. "I thought there were two boxes," she said to herself as she lifted the carved boa wood box and prepared to take it to the men who were to carry it all the way back to Coruscant. "There _were_ two boxes. One is missing." Suddenly feeling that she wasn't alone, she turned to face a tall figure, unrecognisable under a heavy cloak and breathing mask. "Can I help you? I'm afraid that this part of the library is not open to the public…"

"Give me the box," the figure demanded harshly in a voice fed through a vocal modulator. It could have been either a male or a female. The Omwati did not know.

Quo Zacx blinked in surprise. "No."

"Give me the box."

"I said 'no'." Was that a blaster in the being's hand? This was serious. Someone wanted this box of…

"Then I'll have to take it." The figure snarled and suddenly launched itself at the unsuspecting female.

Quo Zacx found herself flat on her back, her head reeling as it hit something in her descent to the floor. The box was in the arms of someone who wasn't supposed to have it. "Hey!" she managed to croak. "Give that back. It doesn't belong to…"

But the figure turned and began to run. Quo Zacx dragged herself to the alarm and hit it with as much force as she could muster before sinking to the ground. "Stop thief…"

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Pash and Hobbie barely had time to react to the alarm before Wedge was back out of the office his blaster already in his hand. "What is it?"

"The Omwati…Quo Zacx. She hasn't returned," Hobbie murmured worriedly as the siren made even the simplest of conversations impossible.

"Hobbie, you go and check on her," Wedge shouted. "Pash, come with me."

But he hadn't gone far when a figure dashed past them and disappeared out of the main entrance clutching a medium sized wooden box. He didn't need to see a sabacc deck to know that someone had got hold of their stuff.

"After him," Wedge yelled, immediately giving chase and sending a couple of blasts after the departing figure. They clattered down the front steps firing off more shots. The box fell to the ground with a crash. With one snarled curse, the figure stared at the spilled contents, leapt onto a swoop bike and fired the engine. Wedge and Pash could only watch as it disappeared.

"At least they didn't get the box," Pash commented thoughtfully. "And I think you managed to hit him…or her."

"No, I caught the edge of the cloak - that was all. Still, they gave up a little too easily for my liking. I wonder why."

Pash strode purposefully over to where the box lay, the lid several metres further on and the contents scattered. "I can tell you why," he said.

"Why?"

"This box is full of rubbish."

"What!"

"We've been brought on a wild morodin hunt - all for nothing." He pointed to the scattered bits and pieces. "Or have we? What would be the point? None of us are fools." He picked up the box and the lid, handing them to Wedge. "Maybe there _was_ a box, perhaps there's another one and it's already gone." Bending over, Pash collected the crumpled pieces of flimsy and the cracked data rods. "There's certainly no lightsabers in this container."

Wedge stared up at the sky in frustration, watching idly as a lone x-wing streaked across the horizon. "Leia's not going to like this."

Pash stamped his foot with annoyance. "We need to speak to this Quo Zacx, providing she's not the one who raced out of here with the box under her arm."

"She couldn't have been – it's not possible. Let's ask about another box," Hobbie said.

Pash frowned. "They would not have brought us out all this way for nothing. The head librarian doesn't strike me as the sort of person to set up such an easily discovered scam."

"Lessons learned from Dad, Pash?" Wedge said with a grin.

"Nope, my own gut feelings."

"Well, since they match mine…" Wedge extended his arm. "After you."

They returned to Iloncka Yashek's office to find it empty and Hobbie motioning to them from a doorway at the far end of the main corridor. The dean of the University stood wringing his hands while the head librarian was carefully supporting a dazed Quo Zacx, her severe features softened into unexpected concern as she tended the younger female.

Hobbie handed Mistress Yashek a water bottle. "Whoever tried to steal this box managed to shove this kid so hard that she cracked her head off the edge of that filing cabinet."

"She looks a little dizzy," Pash observed.

Wedge knelt down beside her. "Are you all right?"

"Just winded, sir," she said shakily. "And I feel strange…"

Wedge hated to have to ask her questions when she was obviously in need of medical attention but this was part of his job. "Did you see who it was?"

Quo Zacx shook her head and wished that she hadn't as the throbbing intensified. She closed her eyes and swallowed, trying to will away her feeling of nausea. "They were cloaked and masked too…spoke through something that altered the voice. I could not tell."

"Voice modulator. They didn't get the box. You managed to hit the alarm – well done."

"What about the other box. There were two," Iloncka Yashek protested.

Wedge glanced at the other Rogues. So there had been two boxes. Now they only had one.

"It's not there but it's safe," Quo Zacx said dreamily.

"How do you know?"

"I can't remember." Her dark blue eyes widened in panic. "I honestly can't remember. There's a gap in my memory."

"She needs to see a healer. She's obviously concussed," Hobbie said worriedly in an undertone to Wedge.

"I just know that it's safe. It belongs to the Jedi."

"You know someone has the first box?" Wedge asked sharply.

Quo Zacx frowned. "No…yes. I can't remember," she repeated. "My head hurts."

"It looks like this one?" he persisted. She could be lying but he doubted it. The Omwati were intelligent thinkers, not subversives. He'd interrogated his fair share of possible malcontents and would swear that Quo Zacx was telling the truth.

Quo Zacx closed her eyes, tears trickling down her pale blue cheeks as Wedge stared at Iloncka Yashek for an answer to his question.

"It was exactly the same – size, material…exactly," she confirmed.

Pash looked at his commander. "I'm on it, Wedge. I'll go and check the security cams. See that she gets medical attention."

"Good." He knelt beside the Omwati. "Come on, you need to see someone." She opened her eyes and gave a tiny nod. Wedge helped Quo Zacx to her feet and looked at the dean of the University.

He cleared his throat nervously. "I'll see that she gets to a medic immediately."

"Thank you."

An hour later, Pash shook his head. He'd checked the records of all the employees currently working in the library and reviewed all the security cams but nothing unusual had caught his interest until the intruder had attempted the taking of the box. "Nothing, boss."

"Nothing? Oh well. We'll take the empty container with us. Maybe some historian on Coruscant can tell us something about it."

On their way back to the spaceport, they stopped off at the university medical facilities to speak to Quo Zacx. She'd been treated and was recovering swiftly but still couldn't recall anything for an hour prior to the Rogues' arrival at the library.

"I'm sorry, Commander Antilles, that I cannot be more helpful."

"We're just glad that you weren't seriously harmed." Wedge sat in the chair beside her bed. "The doctor tells me that there's an hour that you cannot account for."

"Yes." She looked troubled. "But it could all be because I hit my head. I've tried to remember what happened and I cannot. I just have the feeling that the items are safe. I know it's irrational and I cannot help it. It's just a feeling I have."

"A feeling?" Wedge froze. Where had he heard that expression? He dug into a pocket and fished around…ah, there it was. Han had given this to him just in case. He produced a miniature holo. "Do you recognise this man?"

Quo Zacx stared at the holo and gave a little smile. "Of course I do. That's Luke Skywalker, the Jedi Knight."

"Have you seen him here on Praesitlyn?"

The blue-skinned Omwati female looked a little taken aback. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"I've seen him on 'Empire's Most Wanted and holo-shows like that. I would love to meet him in real life. I've always been interested in the Jedi. It's their history…"

"Yes, thank you." Wedge cut her off.

"What would he be doing here? It's not exactly the Core."

"You forget, there was a box of Jedi items hidden here and that could be reason enough for Luke Skywalker."

"But I would remember…surely?"

"You would think so, wouldn't you? But the ways of the Jedi are strange. I don't know if they understand them totally themselves."

Perhaps the thief had already managed to steal the first box; Wedge couldn't be sure. There was no image of the first box's disappearance on the holocams. But the memory of a lone x-wing in the sky stayed with him all the way back to the spaceport. Was it Luke? Was that the first hint that he was still alive in over three years?


	9. Chapter 9

**Out of the Shadows 9**

****

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. Extra thanks must go to Niqella, Michele and Rhea.

**Coruscant**

Leia Organa stood at the private landing platform attached to Talon Karrde's offices. "You didn't have to come with me," she muttered, throwing a glare over her shoulders at Han and Chewie, who had managed to get rid of Cracken's security detail and had glued themselves to her every move like a pair of mynocks.

"Course we did, your worshipfulness," Han said glaring back at her. "Karrde is an honourable man but he is still a smuggler. I'm not worried about him but there are others less desirable he has to deal with. If you don't have Karl and Chevin you have us."

"You just had to pull rank on Karl and Chevin."

"Is that what they're called? I forget. I see so little of you as it is. If this is the only way we are to have time together then this is the way it stays." He winked. "Of, course, if you're missing them so much…"

Leia rolled her eyes. Yes, she'd rather have Han than Karl and Chevin but wasn't about to tell him that the way he'd been acting. He was just impossible and had been more so since the fight they'd had about Luke. She'd put the entire rebel alliance on hold while she'd gone to rescue him. What had she been thinking? "Don't you trust me?"

"Don't start me on trust, sweetheart. I think the phrase is 'from a certain point of view'."

Chewie growled in agreement.

"I think you're being unfair." Leia resisted the temptation to smack the insolent smirk from Han's face. He was deliberately riling her and he knew he was succeeding.

"Besides I want to have a word with Talon about something," Han continued in that stubborn manner Leia knew so well. "It's business."

"Not some more illegal hardware for the _Falcon_?" she queried with a frown. "One day you will add one modification too many and then…"

"Allow me to know my own ship, Princess."

"Fine. If you blow yourself up, I'm not telling 2-1B to put you back together again – it would be a complete waste of time." Leia sighed. She knew why she loved the half-witted nerf. He made her so angry she could kill him, yet he made her laugh. Han Solo had the ability to make Leia Organa feel once more and that was something she thought that after Alderaan's destruction, would never happen to her again.

"This way, Princess." Han approached a set of smoky coloured glass doors. As they approached, the doors slid smoothly open and a slender woman, wearing a smart, dark green city tunic and pants, walked out to greet them.

Leia couldn't help the little gasp of surprise as she recognised the woman approaching them. This was the same woman who had been at the Senate Hall during the lectures on commerce and trade. Had she something to do with Talon Karrde and his organisation? It was likely. They had been together that day.

Leia saw many beings in the course of her work and it was rare that any of them made such an instant impression, especially without even exchanging a single word.

Han gave a silent whistle as they got closer. This one was a stunner; there was no doubt about it. Tightly braided flame red hair, vivid green eyes in a beautiful face and curves in all the right places as Lando would have said. But Han, having been around the galaxy several times, recognised someone who had lived on the fringes of that galaxy. Her eyes were hard and watchful, with a keen intelligence, not welcoming and Han could see a blaster displayed very prominently in a quick-draw thigh holster. Very much like his own. Yup, she was part of Karrde's employ all right.

The woman's lip curled and Leia had the impression that she did not like them, had made up her mind about them long ago and wasn't about to change it any time soon. She sent out a tentative approach with the Force as Luke had taught her and met…nothing. A blank wall prevented Leia from getting anything on the redhead at all. Could this be some sort of protective barrier? Luke had said that the weak minded could be influenced by using the Force. It confirmed Leia's feeling that this woman was possibly Force sensitive. Did she know; had she been trained in any way?

"She was at the Senate the other day with Talon Karrde," Leia whispered. "There's something funny about her. I can usually read people very quickly but with this woman…nothing."

"Chewie, keep your eyes open," Han muttered. _Was this the same woman that Leia mentioned seeing with Karrde? 'How did I miss her', he thought._He might scoff about the Force but his instincts were telling him the same as his lover's. This woman was dangerous and if Leia thought so too, then...

The Organa-Solo party stopped about a metre from the woman. She smiled, a mere baring of perfect white teeth and gave them a stiff little bow. There was no warmth in the greeting. "Talon Karrde sent me to meet you and bring you to his offices."

"Thank you," Leia said politely. This woman intrigued Leia – she didn't fit into this situation. Her accent told Leia that the woman had probably been brought up in the Core Worlds and that she was well educated. It wasn't much but it was a start. Of course beauty was not the sole property of the virtuous. Many used their looks very successfully fostering a life of crime. Leia was fairly new to the idea of having the power of the Force but something told her that this woman could be important to them.

"This way – if you would follow me, please," the red-head murmured.

"It would be nice to be introduced, Red," Han said, his tone challenging. He did not move.

Leia thought that the woman stiffened before turning back to face them. "I didn't know that smugglers had manners."

"Oh, we have them. I'm not in the smuggling business these days but, of course, I learned my manners at the Imperial Academy. Many of these I aim to forget totally. Some of them…" he winked at Chewie, "…were never worth acquiring."

"Han!" Leia hissed warningly.

"I'm sure an _independent operator_ like yourself also has them…somewhere."

Mara hesitated as she tried to keep her anger under control. No one talked to her like that – no one. She could feel the reassuring weight of her wrist blaster against her skin but no, she couldn't. She had a new life to exist in.

"Karrde is one of the most polite beings I know," Han drawled. The woman had barely said anything to them and she had already got his back up. "Of course, some people should know better."

"Han," Leia hissed again, mortified at her lover's behaviour.

He gave a cheeky smirk and looked again at Chewbacca. The Wookiee growled faintly, the sound audible even against the constant sound of the Coruscant traffic, his massive hands moving to grasp his bowcaster. It was a not so subtle move and Han nodded with satisfaction.

"As my friend, Chewbacca, reminded me, the Princess of Alderaan should be treated with respect."

"Should she now?" The red-head arched one eyebrow disbelievingly. "Even though there is no Alderaan?"

Leia's face blanched. She couldn't believe that this woman could be so insensitive. "Billions died," she said, her voice laced with the pain that was her silent, constant companion.

"And there wasn't innocent life lost on both Death Stars?" Her lips stretched into a humourless smile. "Of course, it all depends on your point of view. My name is Mara Jade," she said with an irritated sigh as if all this baiting had finally bored her, turned and walked into the building.

"Pleased to meet you, Red," Han said. So this one was a former Imperial. Nice to know for sure.

"Jade," Mara snapped without turning back to face them.

"Sure thing," he chuckled. "Come on, Your Worshipfulness, we'd better follow the lady before she leaves us out here."

The turbolift trip to the top floor of the building was travelled in silence. Not once did Karrde's assistant glance in Leia or Han's direction. As they exited the lift, Talon Karrde was waiting for them. "That will be all for now, Mara," he said and the red-head gave them a look which none of them understood before walking away. "My second-in-command," he explained as he led them into a large room dominated by an imposing greel wood desk. "She takes her duties very seriously. And this is my office. Please…take a seat."

"She's not very friendly – your second-in-command," Han muttered as he sat down next to Leia.

Karrde raised his eyebrows. "She has had a difficult time in recent years and takes a while to warm to people." He wasn't going to tell Solo and his princess that Mara hated all former rebels, especially ones that were close to her enemy, Luke Skywalker. He did think that Mara would have wanted to meet Solo and he'd been right – she had. "She's very efficient," he offered quietly.

"I heard about Tapper and for what it's worth, I'm sorry." Han said quietly.

"We got the Krish that did it," Karrde declared gravely. "Now, Princess Leia, I believe you wanted to view some of the items I have collected from Alderaan."

"I would, and call me Leia."

"Thank you, Leia." He smiled and seated himself behind the large desk. Leaning forward, he pressed his finger against a raised panel. "Viksoth, could you bring some refreshments please."

Immediately a side door Leia had not noticed before opened and a Duro entered carrying beautiful crystal glasses filled with a pale green wine.

"Is that…?" Leia asked, her eyes widening.

"Yes, the glasses were made for the export market and the wine was produced two years before the Death Star made its impact."

She accepted one of the slender long-stemmed glasses and sipped at the wine. Tears glistened in her eyes for a moment but she rapidly pulled herself together. Karrde was impressed. This young lady was made of durasteel, rather like Jade, both of them strong women forged by the hardships of war. But then, heroes and heroines of any conflict had to have something to fight for. What had Leia Organa gone through when her world was destroyed? What had made her continue the fight? What had made Mara Jade the way she was? Both of these women had been affected by Emperor Palpatine but in very different ways.

"I have several different vintages from various years."

"What else have you got to show me?"

It was a bittersweet hour for Leia, spent gazing at holos and examples of goods Karrde had managed to accumulate over the past six years. He was unashamed in his desire to collect credits by any means. He was a businessman not a philanthropist, yet he had some standards. The Princess and the remaining Alderaanian citizens would pay well for pieces of their history and culture. He might have made more on the open market but somehow it didn't seem right. He would still make a tidy profit. "When Alderaan was destroyed, these things went up in value."

Leia's smile had held a touch of cynical humour. "I can understand that, Talon. These things can never be remade. You do what you do to survive. I hope you have a discerning eye and are able to pick out the fakes that will inevitably result from such a calamitous happening."

He held her gaze and nodded. "We are most careful." He understood that she was talking about more than just merchandise.

"That is reassuring to know." Leia glanced regretfully at her wrist chrono. "I am expected at a meeting. As much as I would have loved to stay longer, I had better go. My secretary will contact you to arrange payment and transportation of the items we agreed on." Her com link beeped three times. "Han, you don't need to take me back to the Imperial palace. My usual escorts have arrived. They're waiting outside on the landing platform."

"Good old Karl and Chevin," he muttered.

"Han." Leia's look said volumes.

The Corellian scowled but gave a resigned sigh. "That's okay, sweetheart. I wanted to talk to Karrde about a few things. He's been places that the New Republic fleet hasn't managed to reach yet."

Leia wrinkled her forehead suspiciously, but it was possible – probable even. "Like…"

Han lowered his voice so that only Leia could hear his words. "The vague stretch of space between Imperial territory and New Republic affiliated systems. There's definitely been an increase of activity along some sensitive boundaries lately. Cracken hasn't said much but I can tell he's nervous. Karrde's welcomed in both camps."

The overly-stretched New Republic had been trying to get the smuggling fraternity to help out. They'd helped the _Rebellion_ but now that the Rebels were now the ones making the laws, the smugglers had backed off. Admiral Ackbar was well known for his dislike of their kind. She gave him a penetrating stare and then nodded. Han could be onto something. "I'll see you back at the _Falcon?"_

"Sure, com me when you've finished. I'll be at the Senate offices."

Han escorted Leia back to the landing pad where the new Republic security guards were waiting for her. He dropped a kiss on her cheek and watched as she boarded the tiny covered speeder. Cracken wasn't taking any chances where Leia was concerned. It was one of the things he and Han agreed on.

He headed back into Karrde's offices as he had a little proposition for the smuggler chief – if he was interested. And Han could afford to pay him for the favour. Oh, not more wealth than he could possibly imagine but just enough to sweeten the deal.

Karrde sat open mouthed as the Corellian outlined his proposal. Solo had surprised him. "I'd like to bring my second-in-command in on this – if you don't mind?"

"The unfriendly redhead?" Han queried. "Do you trust her?"

"As much as I trust anyone in my employ."

"If she's as efficient as you say, I would be interested in her input but I want your assurances that she can be trusted. This must be kept quiet."

Karrde jabbed at the com button. "Mara," he called. "You want to come and listen to this?"

"What is it?" The red-head stalked gracefully back into Karrde's spacious office. "You're still here," she said a little ungraciously in Han's direction.

"Charming female you have here, Karrde," Han drawled, a lazy smirk on his handsome face. "You should try a smile sometimes, Red. It might suit you."

"Like carbonite suited you?" she queried maliciously. "Kept you quiet."

"You didn't employ this lady for her tact," Han retorted. So she knew about his little enforced vacation at the palace of Jabba the Hutt. While it wasn't a secret, it was not something that was generally well known or talked about. Interesting. Should he trust her? He wasn't so sure but he had good instincts and Karrde always had the best people.

"She's good at her job." Karrde kept the smile from his face but Mara must have suspected something because she glared at him.

"I'm glad of that," Han muttered.

"I have work to do if you've finished wasting my time, General?"

"Oh, no," Han replied, his manner as supercilious as he could make it. "Your boss wanted you to hear my little proposition."

"I'm all ears."

Han nodded and told her.

At first there was silence as the words sunk into her brain. "You have got to be joking!" Mara finally exclaimed, shocked into a reaction.

Han bristled. "Do I look as if I'm joking?"

Her green eyes flicked to look at her boss. "There's something very peculiar about this. If you want my advice, Karrde, I wouldn't touch this job for all the spice in Kessel."

"I need time to think about it," Karrde murmured, wondering if he had been right to involve Mara. "What is Princess Leia's opinion?"

"I don't want Leia to know…not yet."

**Sluis Van - Rogue Squadron Temporary HQ**

Wedge slipped from the cockpit of his x-wing to face the concerned face of his executive officer.

"What's wrong, Wedge?" Tycho Celchu asked curiously as the Corellian pulled off his helmet and gloves.

"You've been friends with the Lady Winter for too long, Tycho. You've become as adept as she has at reading people's expressions." He handed the Alderaanian his carryall and his helmet and reached into the storage locker for a medium sized wooden box. A peal of electronic terror made Wedge turn and watch one of the techs lower his R-2 unit to the duracrete floor of the hangar. He rolled his eyes. "Droids. Why did I get a paranoid one?"

Tycho chuckled. "Luck? As for your expression or lack of…I've just served with you for even longer than I've known Winter and I just recognise that sabacc face you sport when things don't go to plan."

They began to head to the set of rooms Rogue Squadron had commandeered as their temporary quarters on Sluis Van.

"Didn't go to plan is the understatement of the year. I've seen a lot of weird things over the years but this just spooked me a little." Wedge gave Tycho the look that he knew meant 'not here. Wait until we're inside'.

"Is it right that we're packing up and heading straight back to Coruscant?" Tycho queried casually.

"Yeah. As soon as I give the order. You hoping to bump into Winter?"

"It would be nice if I knew where Winter was in the galaxy at the moment. She's a good friend and I miss her but these days I never see her. I know she's not on Coruscant."

Wedge clapped the Alderaanian on the shoulder. "One day we'll be able to see our loved ones whenever we want to."

"But just not yet, eh?"

"Nope." They entered Wedge's office cum living quarters where Tycho dumped Wedge's helmet and carryall on a narrow sleeping pallet in the small room next to the office.

"So tell me what happened on Praesitlyn," Tycho murmured as the door closed giving them privacy. "I know Leia was very excited when she contacted me."

"We were told to collect a box of Jedi artefacts from the university library on Praesitlyn…"

"This is the box?" Tycho asked, lightly tracing the decorative carving.

"This is one of the boxes. There were two. Except this one was empty."

"And the other?"

Wedge shrugged. "Gone."

Tycho frowned. "Gone where?"

"Beats me. This is the only one I saw. But the strange thing was - someone tried to steal this one."

"Thinking it was the important box."

"You got it, Tycho. But it wasn't the right box. Apparently this is exactly the same as the first box but was packed with rubbish to make it seem as if it contained the Jedi artefacts."

"So the whole thing was a hoax."

"No. They definitely had a box. The head librarian showed Leia some lightsabers over the holonet."

"So someone took the Jedi stuff. Did it show up on the security cams?"

"The theft of this box showed up nice and clear on all the holocams but there was neither sight nor sign of anyone taking the first box. It vanished into thin air."

"And it definitely existed."

"Oh yes." Wedge ran his hand through his dark hair. "We're pretty certain of that. There was something else that I wondered about. How common would you say x-wings are in the galaxy?"

"They exist. Not much outside the military these days. Some of the Corellian Security service use them but they're not common. The Empire didn't allow their pilots to fly them. They wanted to believe that the TIE fighter was the superior vessel. It has its good points but I prefer the x-wing. Superior shields and hyperspace capability have served us well over the years."

"That's what I thought." Wedge moved to his locker and began emptying his clothes into his carryall. "Just as the thief made his or her get away without this box, an x-wing left planet. We checked at the spaceport. It was using a false transponder code."

"So you couldn't tell who it belonged to or where it was from and there was no way that the thief could have been flying the x-wing?"

"No possible way. I watched the thief fire the engines of his swoop bike just at the time the x-wing flew overhead. Pash has picked up quite a few tips from his old man over the years and he made some enquiries and couldn't tell us anything either. They either genuinely don't know who was flying the ship or they're too scared to say."

"It was too far away to tell if it was painted with Alliance colours?"

Wedge screwed up his face in concentration as he tried to recall the ship. He shook his head. "It was too far away."

There was a buzz at the door. "Come in," ordered Wedge.

"You filling in Tycho, boss?" Pash Cracken entered carrying his kit bag.

"Yes."

"I think it was Luke," the red headed man stated.

"I didn't want to say that out loud just in case you thought I was mad," Wedge confessed.

"Not the guy on the swoop bike but the x-wing pilot," Pash declared. "And who but Luke could get into and out of a building without anyone knowing he was there."

"It was a box of Jedi artefacts after all," Tycho reasoned. "But why steal them? Are you going to tell the Princess?"

"I have to. She and Han really miss Luke. Hell, we all do. He's supposed to be somewhere secret completing his Jedi training without the distraction of life."

"We have another mystery." Hobbie wandered into the office, Janson just behind him.

"What kind of problem? Your ship is fixed," Pash muttered.

"Whoever tried to steal the second box knew that it was there. The only people who supposedly knew about the find were the university library and us. No one else was talking." Hobbie looked at Janson for confirmation of his theory. The usually wise-cracking Wes was thoughtful.

Wedge nodded. "Yes, that is something to think about." He stared out at the array of x-wings lined up and swarming with New Republic techs.

Tycho waved his hands at the boxes and bags littering the hangar. "If we could get packed up, ladies and gentlemen? I would like us to be in the air in under three hours."

"You'll be lucky," Janson mouthed towards Hobbie.

**Coruscant**

Mara Jade paced back and forth across the dark grey plush carpeting of Karrde's office. "He was serious, wasn't he?"

"Yes, I do believe he was." Karrde was sitting at his desk, a glass of the pale green Alderaanian wine in his hand.

"Does he know what he's asking?" she said.

"Yes." Karrde smoothed his beard. "He's offered us a good price."

"Are we going to do it?"

"I said I would think about it. We have avenues of enquiry open to us that a New Republic investigator has not."

"The underworld."

"Of course. We are still part of it despite our many claims to respectability. Sit down and relax, Jade. I know this is an obsession for you but if we accept this job, we do it in a professional manner."

"They weren't at all what I expected," Mara confessed suddenly.

"Organa and Solo?"

"Yes."

"No, I suppose they were not but you've been fed a lot of Imperial propaganda over the course of your entire life. It's hard to break from such conditioning. Are you so sure what you know is the truth?"

Mara's hands clenched into fists, her whole air becoming tense. "It has to be; otherwise my whole life has been a lie."

"That is a possibility you might have to contend with. They didn't seem like cold blooded murderers to you?"

"No…they seemed like people I might want to get to know if I were that kind of person. I was a trained assassin, for sith's sake. I don't do cosy cups of caf and talks on whether the weather grids are effective."

"I can't see you doing that," Karrde agreed.

The confusion on Mara's face was clear to see. "Solo, he's very sharp - been on the fringes of respectability for a long time and can hold his own in a fight. I've seen holos and reports – they didn't exaggerate."

"The Princess is not a hothouse flower. She can also hold her own in a crisis – she has also been trained to fight."

"Yes, I know. I've been fed so many pieces of information on these people. They were the enemies of my master and thus, also of mine. But Leia Organa was pleasant and likeable - that I did not expect. I knew she was clever. No one is elected to the Imperial Senate at sixteen without superior acumen. Nor could she have evaded Imperial capture for so many years without a modicum of intelligence. Vader and the Emperor sent the top bounty hunters and agents after Skywalker, Organa and Solo and they escaped every single time. I've killed my fair share of the scum of the galaxy, Karrde. I was told that Organa was part of that underclass of people. I'm not easy to impress - never, ever forget that - and she's managed to impress me against all the odds."

"I don't forget the fact that you're not easy to impress. But never underestimate these people, Jade. The Emperor did and he lost."

The expression in her green eyes grew cold at the reminder of her former master. Meeting possible victims was never a good idea. "They will still pay."

"Not if we accept this task."

"You're going to accept?" Mara was astounded. She had never considered that Karrde might be interested in such a proposition.

"Have you ever considered the notion that Organa and Solo have already paid for what they have done?"

Mara had not.


	10. Chapter 10

**Out of the Shadows 10**

****

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list, especially Rhea Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one.

**Dagobah**

Luke's return to Dagobah with the carved box containing the Jedi artefacts passed without incident. But as he popped the hatch on the x-wing after landing safely beside the familiar swamp, there was no diminutive Jedi master there to greet him. He hastened to Yoda's home and found the old Jedi resting. Luke pushed away his worry. Yoda was weakening – he could feel it - his sense in the Force flickering. The old creature appeared considerably frailer in just a few days and Luke knew that he was going to lose his mentor to the Force very soon. It was something that Luke didn't want to think about. He would be alone once more.

The old master opened his eyes and struggled to his feet. "Never alone with the Force are you, young Skywalker." It was as if Yoda had read his mind.

"I know," Luke said quietly.

"I will always be with you."

Luke smiled wistfully. "I know that too."

Yoda chuckled, his eyes widening. "He-he. Learned much you have, young one."

"I've been taught by the best," Luke admitted with a sly grin, although it tore at his heart to see how the old Jedi was fading away in front of his eyes. "You must rest, Master."

"Soon I will forever sleep. Rest I can then."

"Of course, but I insist." A muscle twitched in Luke's cheek as he helped Yoda back into bed and covered him with a warm blanket before placing the carved boa-wood box beside him. "I admit to some curiosity," he said. "But I only had time for a quick check to see if the things in here looked vaguely like they'd once been in the hands of a Jedi."

Yoda's little green claw slid the lid half open. He gave a wheezing gurgle of laughter. "Promising this looks, young one." The wrinkled face stilled into sorrow. "Recognise the lightsabers and the lingering presence of my old friend, I do."

"Mace Windu?" Luke asked. "So he did save these things for the Jedi."

Yoda nodded as if the motion cost him much effort. "Powerful Jedi and wise he was. Kept these safe he did. Gave his life for good."

Luke took the lid and placed it aside. "There are six lightsabers in this box, Master Yoda. Can you identify who they belonged to?"

Yoda's chest rose and fell with a shuddering breath as if this was hurting him. Luke knew that these memories had to be painful. Mistakes had been made that had cost many lives. He did not want to repeat those mistakes. He had to be ready.

"A lightsaber is built by a Jedi at the point of Knighthood. Each has an individual signature in the Force. This lightsaber belonged to my good friend, Mace Windu. See the way the handle was crafted to fit his grasp. This one to his padawan learner…"

_'Padawan.'_

Luke let his mind investigate the unfamiliar word. Yoda had never called him a padawan. The word held so much pain and promise. He'd merely referred to Luke as his apprentice. Perhaps the trappings of his old life were too painful to relive, yet that didn't sound like the fiery Jedi Master that Luke had lived and studied with for the past three years. He was Yoda's padawan. Luke Skywalker was Master Yoda's last padawan.

"And this one…" Yoda's eyes sharpened. "Not listening you were."

"Of course I was…well no, I wasn't." Luke sighed. He never could lie to Yoda. The old Jedi always knew when he wasn't paying attention.

"Strong these Jedi were," Yoda said.

"Not strong enough," Luke murmured sadly.

"Strength is not always enough," Yoda rebuked.

"I know," Luke said gravely. "I saw the Emperor die." He made his point in return. He was not as wise or as learned as Yoda but he wasn't as ignorant as he once had been. He found that Yoda respected him more now if he held his ground.

Yoda smiled with satisfaction. If there was one lesson Luke had learned easily, it was the one about the misuse of power. He had seen the supposedly most powerful being in the galaxy die – Emperor Palpatine. He had also seen his own _father_ die. Yes, the young man had understood that truth only too well. Power and strength without goodness, justice and honour were nothing. "Teach me you still can, Luke. A good thing this is. Complacent we cannot become or our undoing it will be."

"What else have we got here?" Luke peered into the box. "Books and…" His gaze fixed on the small objects Yoda pulled out of a bag made out of a soft beige cloth. "What…?"

"Training toys, for the younglings these are." He held up a glass sphere filled with glittering silver sand. "Make it change colour," he told his apprentice. "Focus and happen it will."

Luke concentrated on the orb and immediately, the grains become red and then blue. Luke grinned. If he thought hard enough he could…

Yoda snorted as the contents became multicoloured as Luke merrily danced them around the insides of the tiny globe. "Much, much older than the younglings are you. This is not so impressive."

Luke chuckled, not at all put out by Yoda's set down. "What else?"

Yoda pulled out a square box. Inside was a four-sided pyramidal shape filled with a thick liquid. "Change this into a cube or a sphere the students did. Hard this was as the liquid not easily controlled. This you want to do also?"

But Luke was staring at something else he thought he recognised. "This is a puzzle…a game of logic," he said slowly. "That's what it is – isn't it?"

"This is so. Seen one of these you should not," Yoda answered, a puzzled expression on his face.

"But I have…I know I have. These little struts moved to let the balls run unhindered through the maze and eventually drop through the slots but remove the wrong one and the game is over. I remember seeing one of these." He frowned. "How could I remember seeing one of these?" He glanced at the old master.

Yoda was thinking and then he slowly gave a nod. "Remember I do now. Your Aunt Beru gave you one when you were a baby. Bought in market on Tatooine. Knew not she did, that it was a Jedi toy."

"Nor did Uncle Owen, I bet," muttered Luke. "Wish I could remember what happened to it."

What had happened to the inoffensive looking but highly dangerous toy? Yoda frowned and then his face cleared. "Removed it on a visit to your home Obi-Wan must have done when the Empire became a permanent fixture on Tatooine. Yes, remember, of this I do. Forget things sometime I do – old have I become."

"You forget things?" Luke shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Obi Wan couldn't risk someone recognising it. From your mother it came."

"My mother?"

"A strong willed woman was she. Very like your sister. Hid the toy on a market stall. Forgotten about this I had. Much fear this caused in Obi-Wan when found out he did."

"My mother resembled Leia?" Luke didn't realise it but the naked yearning displayed on his face told the old Jedi a lot. He hesitated to say more because of the damage it could cause although unlike his father, Anakin, Luke had never known his mother. But old habits die hard and Yoda decided to say no more.

"Very like." Yoda closed his eyes.

Luke wanted to ask more but something on Yoda's face told him that his master had said all he was going to say on the subject of Luke's mother. The young man wondered why it was such a secret. "They're so small," he said instead, referring to the toys.

"That is why they exist. Easily hidden these could be. Not considered a danger are children's toys. Remember young one, size matters not." He wheezed into a laugh. "Small am I."

"Perhaps," Luke agreed. "But not in the Force. There, you have a very large presence." He stuck his hand into the box and pulled out one of the books. "Hey!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up. "I have this one – I've even read it. This was left to me by Obi-Wan. It's been very useful over the past few years."

"Required reading it was at the Jedi temple during the Old Republic – perhaps it may be so again. Every Jedi had one."

"With the information contained within its pages, I was able to build my own lightsaber. I don't know if I could have done that without it."

"The final test of a true Jedi Knight it is. A Jedi you are, Luke. Believe you must, for my time is short."

"Don't say that, Master."

"The truth you must face. A Jedi you are and a powerful one. The first of the new order are you. I leave the Jedi in your care. A gift, yet a heavy burden to place upon your shoulders. Faith in you I have. Succeed you will."

Luke clenched his right hand, the one his father had maimed. Yoda was right. He wasn't a boy any more. He was a man and a Jedi Knight. He'd had three extra years he hadn't expected to have. He was luckier than most and he had already faced his fear at losing Yoda. It was a fear he faced daily but the old Jedi lingered on through sheer stubbornness.

The box was nearly empty now. All it still contained was a couple of glass recording rods, a chipped holocube and some data cards. Yoda gave a great sigh. He had hoped for more.

"No holocron?" Luke had guessed what his Master had wanted to see.

"Destroyed they all must be," he said. "Hoped I had."

He looked tired and defeated. Luke couldn't ever recall seeing the old Jedi like this not even when Yoda had despaired of Luke ever reaching the rank of a Jedi Knight. "Maybe the information you were hoping to find could have been stored on one of the recording rods or in the holocube."

"Possible it is but I feel no stirring within the Force telling me to look." Yoda held his little clawed hand over the remaining items. Luke could feel him reaching through the Force but the effort was too much for him. His hand was shaking with the strain.

"Master Yoda…" Luke was about to offer his help.

Yoda shook his head. "Rest I need...rest."

"I agree." Luke again tried to hide his fear and must have succeeded because Yoda didn't call him on it as he usually did. "I'll go and try to read these in a more traditional fashion. I spent quite a bit of my off-duty time building that data scanner." He helped pull the covering over Yoda's tiny frame and dimmed the lamp.

"The information we seek is not there." Yoda's voice was weak – a thread of sound.

"It could be hidden somewhere else and we only need to know where to look. The Force kept this safe for us to find," Luke declared. "It will show us the way." With a gentle yet firm smile, Luke instructed his master, "Please try and get some sleep."

But the smile vanished when he emerged from the hut into the damp air. Artoo Detoo beeped concernedly. "He's failing, Artoo, and there's nothing I, or anyone else in the entire universe with all the power of the Force at our fingertips, can do about it. I don't think he had the strength to divine what is in those data storage devices."

Artoo trilled a question.

"Yes, I'm going to look. The information may not be there but there could be clues to where it is." He stared at Yoda's dwelling and sighed. "It's almost time for me to return to my other life – if it's still there. I can't go back to what I was. Everything will be different."

He moved into the more modern structure constructed in the small clearing next to Yoda's home, under the spreading branches of a knotted gnarl tree. "I'm going to see if I can get any information out of the finds. You coming?"

Artoo beeped his affirmative. 'Of course he was coming. Master Luke couldn't think that he would let him sift through important information on his own. You could never trust biological life forms to do things properly although Master Luke was better than most.'

Luke had managed to rig up a basic data scanning device from the bits and pieces he'd scavenged on his infrequent trips off world. He was still good with his hands and he'd seen the best rebel techs in the galaxy construct even better ones as well as pretty powerful homing beacons out of less. He'd picked up a thing or two from his friends in the rebellion over the years. It was amazing what could be built and maintained from piles of electronic scrap.

Artoo tootled another question.

"What was Master Yoda hoping to find?" Luke shrugged. "Information, I guess. Words are more powerful than weapons. Maybe Mace Windu collected records of the Jedi at the time the Old Republic began to fail. Locations of Jedi in hiding including children, who might be easier to conceal."

The little droid twisted his domed head and beeped with concern.

"I had considered that, Artoo. The rest of the Jedi were all killed. Leia, myself Yoda and Obi Wan are the only ones I know of that survived. But of course, if I knew about others they couldn't have been well hidden."

The droid blurted out a pithy observation.

"I hadn't looked at it from that point of view, Artoo. Yes, we did find the box in a cupboard and anyone could have found it at any point in the past twenty-five years or so. No, from what I've heard, this Mace Windu would not jeopardise the safety and future of the Jedi like that even if he was in danger of being caught. No, the future of the Jedi has to be hidden elsewhere but I do think that this is an important clue." Luke paused in the act of loading a recording rod into his scanner and turned to look at his faithful droid. Artoo had come through for him so often in the past. Perhaps…

"Do you know any information about Mace Windu? Have you even heard of him?"

The droid cooed sadly.

"You had a pretty big memory wipe some years back. All you can remember is your time on the Alderaanian Consular ship?"

Artoo sputtered his agreement, his little head rotating gently back and forth and Luke subdued his little spark of hope.

"You must tell me about that sometime. It must have been some wipe. Oh, Artoo, the Jedi are ready to step out of the shadows and into the light. The trouble is…" Luke's shoulders sagged as he turned to stare at the faint lamplight shining from the window of Yoda's home. "I must and will undoubtedly lose a friend and guide when I do so."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

**Coruscant – Talon Karrde's office**

Talon Karrde walked over to his safe and punched in the security code. There were a couple of faint clicks, a light shone across Karrde's face and the door swung silently open. "Here." He reached inside. "You'll need this."

"I'll need this? Why?" Mara asked slightly startled.

He handed Mara Jade a blue jewelled entry chip to one of the most exclusive leisure and gym clubs in the whole of Coruscant. "You did say you needed a proper work out. You'll get one there."

"This is quite a ticket," Mara muttered. "How did you manage to get me a membership to this little place?"

"I bought it."

"You what?"

"Bought it."

Mara gazed at her boss in stupefaction. She was missing something important. Karrde was a benevolent employer, but… "You bought me membership to the most exclusive gym in the Core Worlds? That's some amount of credits to part with just to keep me in shape."

"No, I bought the facility." Karrde gave Mara his most charming smile. "That way I can use it whenever I want, and so can you. It is the most convenient one for us to use."

Mara was suspicious. "Are you sure there's not more to this than you are telling me? This gym is located in what used to be part of the Imperial Palace – the place, only you and I know, that I used to call home."

Karrde was impressed at her perspicacity. He returned to his safe and again reached inside removing a single data card. "I only received this a few weeks ago. I didn't give it to you before now because…"

"You didn't trust me," Mara finished flatly.

"No and yes."

She lifted a shoulder. "I can understand that. The feeling is mutual."

"I mean what I say," Karrde said firmly, "…and if you still can't believe that, the door is that way."

"Sorry," she apologised hastily. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm staying," she said equally firmly. "So what does that data card contain?"

"More information on Luke Skywalker."

"You said you didn't have any more."

"That's because I didn't…Well, I did but you weren't ready to receive it."

"I wasn't?" Mara's voice dropped dangerously.

"No. You would have left on the first flight out of here and set off to kill him. I have news for you. I don't want him dead."

"You're sure he's still alive?"

"You don't think he's dead any more than I do. As you said, the rebels honour their dead and Luke Skywalker hasn't been given that particular distinction."

"Why don't you want him dead?"

"As you know, I've just accepted a lucrative deal to find his whereabouts. It's easier to locate the living. They leave more trails to find than the dead ones do."

"Even if they don't want to be found?" Mara's laugh was cynical. "I managed to evade the forces of Ysanne Isaard."

"You would not have done so forever."

"I would have killed myself rather than be her captive again," Mara hissed.

Karrde held out the data card. "This is temptation, Mara. A test of faith, if you will. See if you can find Luke Skywalker for Han Solo. See if my trust in you is not misplaced."

"Why does Solo want to find him so bad? This boy is his rival for the favour of Leia Organa."

Karrde smiled. "There's information on that data card that very few beings know about. I would even be unsurprised if the High Command of the New Republic haven't been told. The information on this could be termed highly controversial and possibly damaging for Leia Organa if it got out."

Mara snorted. "It would save time if you had foregone the dramatics and just told me now. What could possibly damage Organa?"

"I have a meeting with a client," Karrde said, refusing to answer her question. "Read the information and then I suggest you go and have that work out. You seem very tense."

Mara sighed and held out her hand, whereupon Karrde dropped the data card into it. "There's a part of this puzzle hanging out at the gym isn't there?" she muttered. "I used to be able to walk in and out of that gym without anyone lifting a finger to stop me and now, the security is so tight..." Mara bit off the rest of what she was going to say as daylight began to dawn. "Alright, you win, Karrde. I'll go home and look up the information on the data card like a good little girl."

"I would be very interested to know your views, Mara. Very interested indeed. This could make a difference." Karrde walked towards the door, stopped and turned around to look at Mara. "You are my best chance of locating Skywalker."

"But you have a network second only to the Bothans."

"Better than the Bothans," Karrde said. He wasn't boasting; he was stating a fact. "They have no idea at all where the Jedi has gone and believe me, Mara, they will have looked."

"I do believe you."

"Find him and we can tell Solo. You can do the evil deed later."

"Evil deed?" she echoed. "Oh! Kill him." Unbidden, his face as she'd seen him weeks ago in her strange dream came to mind. He hadn't seemed like the most dangerous being in the galaxy. He'd seemed…nice.

"By all accounts he's a nice man." Karrde's words unknowingly mirrored Mara's thoughts.

"Who?"

"Skywalker."

"Not from where I'm standing," she growled, annoyed more at herself than the fact that Karrde thought that Skywalker was a good individual.

Karrde chuckled. "The galaxy is not as black and white as you've been led to believe. There are many shades of grey in between."

"I'm not that naïve," Mara snapped. "I've lived in the shadows all of my life, my true function and identity having never been known to others. I don't know where I came from or where I'm going. Oh, yes, Talon. I know about the shadows. I'm well acquainted with darkness."

"Then isn't it time to come out of them? Isn't it time to leave the darkness behind you and move forward with your life."

Mara's green eyes became haunted. "I'm afraid to…and if you ever tell anyone that…" Mara recovered her equilibrium. "…I will kill you."

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that but in the interests of a good working relationship we'll keep it between ourselves. Seriously, Mara. You have the Force."

"I…I had but I told you that it disappeared when the Emperor died."

"But you still get warnings, flashes of intuition…"

"Sometimes," she said slowly.

Karrde smiled with satisfaction. "Then you are our best bet."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Her route back to her apartment took Mara very close to what had once been known as Imperial Centre. On an impulse, even though Karrde's data card was burning a hole in her pocket, Mara decided to visit the gym facility first. Luke Skywalker could wait – he wasn't that important. The little voice in her head laughed at her. If she was trying to fool herself it wasn't working. Luke Skywalker was very important to her – very important indeed.

She noted there were humans at the reception desk greeting the members, even though she could see discreet protocol and secretary droids working in the background. She observed unobtrusive but expensive security holocams and low-profile guards. Mara had been well trained and there was little that escaped her. Karrde had made a good buy. She approached the desk, noting that there was already someone waiting to serve her.

"Good day, Mistress. I am Synar. How may I help you?"

"Good day, Synar. My name is Jade - Mara Jade."

"Are you a member, Mistress?" The attractive female enquired politely.

Mara held up the jewelled blue chip and watched the woman's eyes widen in surprise. 'So this is a deluxe membership package,' she surmised cynically. 'Trust Karrde.'

"Have you been before?" the receptionist asked carefully.

"No, this is my first visit," Mara replied, hiding her smirk.

"I will contact a member of staff to show you around and arrange for your fitness assessment."

"I'm quite fit," Mara gritted, slightly insulted that someone chose to know Mara better than she did herself.

"I'm sure you are, mistress." The receptionist back pedalled. "This is policy. We have the latest body scanners in the entire Core Worlds."

"Have you now."

The receptionist, her efficient air slipping, shot Mara a look of bafflement as if she didn't know what to do.

Mara relented. "Fine…contact them if you must."

Synar pressed a button on the desk. "Could a fitness instructor come to reception please?" A muscular young male with a mouthful of gleaming white teeth had appeared beside Mara before Synar had even finished asking for him. Her bright smile firmly in place, Synar held out her slender well-manicured hand. "This is Kelvin D'Astro, Mistress Jade. He will show you around the facility and arrange for your assessment."

Mara murmured pleasantries and began to wish that she'd gone straight back to her apartment and started on the data card. But she was here now and might as well see what the latest inventions could do to aid her in maintaining her fitness.

"This way, please." Kelvin flashed her a wide smile. Mara stifled her groan. He would soon find that she was not so easily impressed by gleaming white teeth and firm muscles. Of course, she was a woman and liked to look but she suspected that inside Kelvin's head there was little to interest her. There likely wasn't any room for her either. It was probably too full of himself but then she could be being unkind.

Half an hour later, Mara had to admit that she was impressed – not by Kelvin but by the gym. She couldn't wait to book one of the private exercise suites reserved for the most exclusive clients which apparently included herself.

"I'll leave you to get changed, Mistress," Kelvin said smoothly. "If you could meet me here once you are ready."

Mara nodded and headed into the luxurious changing suites where she slipped into a black cropped top and slim fitting shorts. Her blaster, she strapped to her thigh. She didn't think she would need it but you could never be sure.

As she exited the changing area a security guard approached her. "I'm sorry, Mistress, but we cannot allow your weapon to be worn in here. There are many important members and this would make our clients understandably nervous. I hope you don't mind?"

Mara did mind but allowed her blaster to be taken away.

"You may collect it from reception as you leave."

Mara scowled but could see his point. Talking of important members… Mara let out a soundless whistle as something, or rather, someone, caught her gaze. So that was why Karrde was so eager for her to visit this little establishment. Leia Organa, composed and beautiful in a clinging white bodysuit, stood contemplating one of the pieces of equipment.

"_Stang!" _Mara muttered. "What is it about this woman and the colour white?" Did Karrde expect her to get to know the princess, the symbol of the rebellion and the doomed world of Alderaan? It seemed as if he did. But then another thought struck Mara. She would bet on a third Death Star never being built that Leia Organa knew where Skywalker was but not once had she ever opened her mouth to confirm or deny any of the rumours circulating about his whereabouts.

"Mistress Jade?" Kelvin approached her, attired in workout gear in the gym's colours and the word 'staff' emblazoned on the back. "If you would follow me please. This facility has the very latest in holo diagnostic technology."

He ushered her into a small room with one side completely of glass so she could still see everything that was happening in the main gymnasium. "Please step on the podium, Mistress Jade."

Mara stood on the foot high platform. It reminded her of the times she'd had to send messages to the Emperor.

"Scanning commencing," a bland computer voice announced and a beam of light moved over Mara's motionless form.

Mara ignored it and stared out at the gym hoping to catch another glimpse of Leia Organa but the princess was nowhere to be seen.

"We're using a combination of a bioscan and hologram projection," Kelvin said proudly. "If you would step off the podium I can show you exactly what it does."

Mara rolled her eyes but did as she was instructed – this technology wasn't exactly new to her but this application of it was. The gym assistant stood behind a bank of switches and flicked several of them. Suddenly Mara blinked as a hologram of herself appeared on the podium where she had been standing.

Kelvin asked her several questions about her lifestyle and Mara answered automatically, shielding the truth of what she really did for a living. "No, I don't do spice," she snapped.

"That's good. What about your alcohol intake – how many units per week?"

Mara's eyes flashed dangerously. "None of your business but its not heavy. I cannot afford to be out of control and yes, my job can be stressful but I have learned to cope with it, before you ask me that one."

"I…"

Mara turned away from her holo and stared at the rest of the gym. "Wasn't that Princess Leia Organa I saw earlier?"

"Yes, it was," Kelvin answered, relieved that his new client wasn't glaring at him again. There was something rather unsettling about this lady. He skimmed over the data on his monitor. There were still several questions he needed her to answer.

"Does she come here often?"

"She has been here several times."

"I've met her once or twice. What training programme does she use?" Mara enquired casually.

"It's an aerobics type mix with light weights." Kelvin stopped suddenly, as if he realised he shouldn't be talking about the Alderaanian princess."

"I prefer dance training mixed with combat training," Mara said. "Does Princess Leia partake in any of those classes?"

"No, she usually reserves a personal trainer."

"You can do that?"

"There are classes at certain times, or you can book a personal trainer, or just reserve one of the private rooms."

Mara could see possibilities. Dancing was something she missed. "Sounds good."

The trainer began checking the details and suggesting possible pieces of gym equipment for Mara to use, highlighting the particular part of her body that each piece might tone and shape up. "Body fat is very low, blood pressure is normal…"

Mara let him drone on. Leia Organa was a member here. Mara knew she had to talk to her - find out if she did know the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker. But would that be at all possible? The power of the Force would decide.

"You appear to be extremely flexible," Kelvin commented approvingly as the holo did something Mara thought was well nigh impossible.

"I am," Mara muttered and eyed the door longingly. "I'll leave you with my er… She can do the rest of my session today. I have an appointment…"

"But Mistress Jade, we are not finished with your assessment."

"Yes, we are," she stated clearly. "Input the facts and figures into the data analyser. It will surely tell me what I need to do to maintain my current level of fitness and if it doesn't…get a better one." Mara began striding determinedly from the room. She stopped in the doorway, turned and stuck her head back in. "And book me a private room for this same time tomorrow."


	11. Chapter 11

**Out of the Shadows 11**

****

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title and Michele for a fresh look at the facts.

**Mara Jade's apartment – Coruscant**

Mara dropped the carryall containing her gym clothes on the floor and headed over to her workstation. Karrde's latest piece of information was now definitely burning a hole in her pocket. But the visit to the gym had been worthwhile. It would be interesting to find out if Leia Organa kept to a regular schedule whilst on Coruscant.

"Computer…switch on – voice print recognition…"

"Mara Jade," the computer answered.

"Data retrieval function," she ordered. "File – Skywalker." She trailed through to her tiny kitchen and prepared herself a mug of stim tea and a snack. Deep in thought, she leant against the kitchen counter.

"Surely Skywalker was Organa's lover and then she dumped him," Mara muttered to herself. "It's a good reason for vanishing – well, it's one reason." The holo clips of them together had often shown Skywalker and the princess hugging or kissing one another – never passionately though, she admitted with a puzzled frown. It had been almost fraternal. Mara wondered if, perhaps, the princess was as puritanical as she looked. Yet, Organa had shown a zealous fire for her rebel cause.

After Hoth she had moved away from the young Jedi and on to Solo as they fled in fear of their lives, the Empire breathing down their necks. Vader had them in his clutches and had foolishly let them go. Organa had shown a devotion to Solo that had made her brave Jabba the Hutt's palace on Tatooine to rescue him with Skywalker's help. Mara had seen them together for herself and despite the mild bickering between them at Karrde's, she could only sense…togetherness. There had even been rumours of an engagement and the odd encounters between Solo and Organa seen on the holonet news had certainly been involved.

Mara mentally scoffed at the idea. Even the New Republic would never allow an Organa of the Alderaanian Royal House to marry a smuggler, no matter how brave or successful Solo had been for the Rebellion. It would never have been allowed during the Emperor's reign. The division between classes and races had been absolute.

_"But the Emperor is dead," _the little voice inside her head taunted._ "His reign is over for good because you failed."_

Yet Skywalker must have forgiven the princess for moving on to Solo. The later holo-vids of the three together had shown a deep visible affection for one another no matter how often Mara tried to see signs of strife. The young Jedi had obviously masterminded Solo's rescue on Tatooine and they had served on the Bakuran mission together. Would you do that for someone who had usurped your place in someone's bed? Maybe Skywalker would. But he was evil…wasn't he?

It was only after returning from the Bakuran mission that he had disappeared. What had happened there? All the intel on his disappearance had not suggested that anything out of the ordinary had happened. Why had he disappeared – where had he gone?

Clutching a large mug of stim tea Mara wandered over to her workstation and slotted in the new information chip Karrde had given her. He'd said that he hadn't reviewed the information it contained but had just scanned through the files. Mara wasn't fooled into thinking that her enigmatic boss wasn't unknowing. As she opened the first file and read the various headings, her mouth dropped open. No, this wasn't at all what she had expected to see. She scanned disbelievingly over the contents. "No…" Mara gave a shaky laugh, trying to calm her suddenly racing heart. She placed the mug on the desk worried that her shaky fingers might let it slip from their grasp.

The words scrolling across the screen told a different story from what Mara was expecting to read. A contact of Karrde's, active in the Rebellion three years ago, had heard rumours that Skywalker and the Princess of Alderaan were in some way related. It had all been very hush-hush at the time. Somehow Karrde had managed to find out but hadn't taken it any further. It suited the smuggler chief to leave things as they were.

Startled by the revelation, Mara thought at first that this was a little bit far fetched and was ready to dismiss it out of hand. She paused. But if it were true, there were major implications for the New Republic. What were they to each other if there was a family connection, Mara wondered? First cousins or even second cousins? Was Skywalker the bastard by-blow of some minor Alderaanian noble? Skywalker had been raised on Tatooine and Organa on Alderaan. What had Skywalker's mother done to deserve such a punishment? It must have been serious to be banished there of all places.

Mara gave a dry chuckle, her normal pragmatism rearing its head. "Come on, Jade. You'll be thinking he's related to Vader next," she told herself, her normal dark humour surfacing. As if the throat squeezing, heavy breathing sith lord had ever been close enough to a woman to reproduce. She gave a little shudder. That thought was a little _too_ disturbing, even for her.

Still, if Karrde had thought this gossip worthy of note, then she should follow it up. Karrde usually got things right. Who then, was Luke Skywalker? If the relationship was distant that wouldn't stop the aristocracy from getting together. Many a minor relative had married another to secure an inheritance or just to keep it in the family. Some of the Imperial Court had obviously interbred too closely with one another.

But if Skywalker and Organa were related…

Something nagged at her brain – something unusual. There was still something important; she knew there was… Mara nodded with satisfaction as daylight dawned. Of course! She castigated herself as a fool. The princess was probably Force sensitive. Such abilities often ran in families but there was no record of Jedi ever coming from the royal house of Alderaan. Well, well, well. That could explain the unfamiliar sensation of someone attempting to read her through the Force. Both times she had been in the presence of the princess she'd instinctively raised the shields Palpatine had taught her to erect inside her mind. The sensation had been raw…untutored…but it had been there. How could she discover for certain?

She flicked on her com. "Ghent?"

"Mara!"

"I need you to break into some files for me." Her voice was deliberately casual.

"Difficult ones?" Talon Karrde's chief slicer sounded hopeful.

"Could be."

The young voice perked up. "Oh, finally!" he exclaimed. "Something decent to do. I've been kinda bored since we landed. Tell me what you want."

"Break into the medical files belonging to Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan and, if they are there, Jedi Luke Skywalker. I want to know blood types and tissue samples. I presume the Manarai Medical Centre will have them. It's where most of the New Republic High Command go for their aches and pains."

"Do they have them?"

"Do they have what?" Mara queried bemusedly.

"Aches and pains."

"They deserve to have them," she growled.

"Why do you want Organa and Skywalker's med files?"

"It's an investigative project I'm doing for Karrde."

"Eh! That's a new one on me. Financial institutions and political groups I can understand but medical centres?"

"Humour me."

"Okay, but how could that help the organisation? I don't get it."

"If they're sick we know what drugs to smuggle into Coruscant," she retorted. Mara could visualise him, in the little cubby hole he called 'quarters' on the _Wild Karrde, _screwing up his face in bewilderment under his untidy hair. "You don't need to 'get' anything from this, apart from the results…and Ghent…"

"Yeah!"

"Keep this to yourself for the moment. Karrde doesn't want it going around."

"Yeah…Okay!" he muttered.

But she could tell that he didn't understand and she wasn't prepared to explain. Mara clicked off her com and opened another file. Ghent was Talon Karrde's best slicer and where he'd come from, she hadn't cared enough to ask. She'd never seen a code he couldn't crack or a file he couldn't break into. He did it just for fun. But then, he didn't have, or seemed to want, much of a life. Still, he was happy and well treated - what more did he need, she asked herself. He didn't need to understand about this. It was none of his business.

She noted the information appearing on her monitor. It pretty much tracked where the young Jedi had been at certain times during the Rebellion. He'd appeared out of nowhere with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Solo and the Wookiee. 'Nowhere' had later on turned out to have been Tatooine. Mara scowled. One of her least favourite places and not particularly high in the list of important destinations for the discerning galactic tourist, unless you had a fixation about sand, more sand, a binary sun system and stifling temperatures.

An exact fix on his location had been sketchy after the destruction of the first Death Star but it was known that he'd been present, three years later, during the Hoth battle where the Empire had been victorious yet had failed to capitalise on that victory. Mara had blamed the generals and Vader. Luke Skywalker, along with the Rebel leadership had disappeared again for several more months until he had returned to rescue his friends and ultimately face Darth Vader at Bespin. The young Jedi had escaped with his life, if not his right hand.

Mara's mouth firmed slightly. He must be good, she thought grudgingly, to have survived lightsaber combat against the dark lord of the Sith. Mara had seen Vader in action and it had been…impressive. The top of the range combat droids had all been totally annihilated; she had walked in on him once finishing one off with cold, relentless efficiency. It had to have been around that time that Vader's obsession with Skywalker had spiralled out of control and, Mara had to admit, so had the Emperor's. Why? Mara wondered what part of the puzzle she was missing.

Had she been jealous of the interest her master had in a boy from a tenth rate rim world? Of course not. To her distress, Palpatine had shut her out, plotting and scheming to no avail. If he had only trusted her with more information, she could have saved him. It was hard to stomach the fact that her master had withheld from her the vital information that could have kept him alive. But he had and she'd failed. Skywalker had escaped Tatooine with Organa, Calrissian, Solo, the Wookiee and those blasted droids he seemed to have following him around everywhere.

No one disappeared as thoroughly as Luke Skywalker did unless they were dead or they were a Jedi Knight in hiding… Her thoughts trickled to a stop. Skywalker _was _a Jedi Knight, not an ordinary human. Still, there had to be a trail left somewhere and if there was, Karrde would have picked it up – she'd bet her blaster on it. If only she'd still had the Force, she could have tracked him.

Mara moved onto the next file and miraculously, considering the black mood she was in, almost found it funny. It marked possible Jedi sightings in and around the Outer Rim – specifically Tatooine and other worlds within the nearest hyperspace routes.

Mara scowled as that wasn't much help. Tatooine was one of the worlds at a nexus point. He could visit Tatooine and be anywhere within a few hours with just a simple hyperdrive manoeuvre. The first few sightings were ludicrous as it placed Skywalker in four different places at the same time. She'd heard of and seen the Emperor and Vader do many amazing things but even they couldn't be everywhere at once.

Her com buzzed stridently. "Yes?"

"It's me." Ghent's excited voice said.

"Ghent?" she queried in disbelief. "Already?"

"Their encryption codes are so weak that it's criminal…"

"I'll tell them that next time I pop in for a caf." Mara retorted as she checked her wrist chrono. She'd only called the slicer twenty minutes ago.

"I mean…any second rate code breaker could have hacked into these files if they'd a spare hour or two."

"Ghent, you must have taken all of ten minutes." Her mood lightening, Mara couldn't quite keep the anticipation from out of her voice.

"As long as that," he muttered and Mara thought that he smiled. "Yeah, I suppose that's not bad," he conceded complacently. "Some of those files are highly confidential."

"That's why I wanted you to break into them," Mara stated, rolling her eyes. He _really_ needed to get out more. "If they hadn't been confidential there would have been no need to break into them. I hope you didn't trip any safeties?"

"I got past them – too easy to find and I'm talking about the hidden ones."

"Did you find what I wanted?"

"Yes and no."

"Yes and no," Mara echoed slowly.

"I managed to gain access to Princess Leia's medical records but Commander Skywalker's files are not kept in that location because he has never been a patient there."

"_Commander_ Skywalker?"

"That's how he's referred to in all the files."

"But you said there weren't records of him at the Manarai."

"There aren't. I tried looking for them in other places."

Mara was one of the few who knew that Skywalker's right hand was a prosthetic; therefore, he had to have been a patient somewhere. Mara mentally kicked herself as she realised that of course he wouldn't be on file in the Manarai; the New Republic hadn't been in residence on Coruscant at the time of his disappearance. "So where are they kept? Did you manage to find that out?" Her voice was dry. Sarcasm was wasted on Ghent – he never usually noticed it, taking everything literally.

"Sure I did. They're in the memory banks of the 2-1B droid that's operational on board the Mon Calamarian star ship _Home One."_

_"Sithspit!"_ Mara swore under her breath, trying to work out how Ghent had managed to find out that much sensitive information in such a very short time. "Can you access these files? I would really like the information."

"Sorry." Ghent's voice drooped. "I could do it but it would take me several weeks to get near the New Republic ship's systems. That's if I could get into them, let alone crack into their medical files. It would take a lot of time. They have some really good encryptors on board that ship. I'm better…" he said this matter-of-factly, "but it would definitely slow me down."

"I don't have that sort of time."

"I didn't think you would have. I did do a general search for Skywalker and there are files in the old Imperial database but they were in a language I couldn't read."

Mara froze…What kind of language, she wondered, a cold feeling invading her stomach. The language of the Sith lords? While she wasn't fluent in the language, it _had_ formed part of her studies. For some reason it hadn't been a part of her education that she'd enjoyed. There had been something cold and dark about it which had made her uneasy. The Emperor had deemed it necessary for her to learn in case she ever came across any Sith artefacts. "Can you send them to me? I may be able to decipher them."

"Okay, patching them through."

Mara clicked on another file provided by her boss as she waited for Ghent's files to arrive. "Possible sightings of Jedi," she read. "Oh, come on, Karrde. I found it hard to believe the last one but now we're checking the optical illusions and hallucinations of every spice riddled addict the outer Rim has in its spaceport cantinas." Mara scowled. "Now why doesn't that surprise me?"

When the computer gave a little whirr. Mara flicked on her com. "Got the files, Ghent, thanks."

"Any time, Mara."

"I owe you one," she said, as she cut the connection.

She opened Ghent's file and found that it was written in a kind of gibberish she'd not seen since she'd worked for Palpatine. There was always the chance that Ghent, given time, would be able to decipher the files but as she'd said earlier, she didn't have the luxury of time to allow him to do that. Karrde would be expecting results sooner rather than later and as Mara already knew some of the solutions to Palpatine's files; it would be far swifter for her to do it.

Mara typed in one of the secret codes she remembered from her childhood and breathed a sigh of relief as things began to happen. "Good." This was indeed familiar to her after all.

It wasn't a sith language after all. She'd only applied the first layer of decrypt codes and already she could see through the shields – there would be at least another three. Five minutes later she had the information taken from the examination of Luke Skywalker's hand – the one he'd lost in his duel with Vader on Bespin. A file marked 'Anakin' she ignored. Anakin who? Skywalker wasn't a common name but there was bound to be other stragglers mixed into Ghent's searches. The galaxy was a big place, after all, surely there was more than one of them. The only Skywalker she was interested in was a farmboy turned would-be Jedi from the planet Tatooine.

Removing the identities of her subjects from the files - she understood the need for secrecy in this case - Mara contacted Karrde's doc-droid and sent him the two files asking for a comparison. Now all she could do was wait. This could take long enough too.

Mara glanced at her wrist chrono and decided to return to the file containing the information on the mythical sightings of the Jedi knights across the galaxy. An hour later, she stared disgruntled at the vid-screen. This wasn't research – it was fiction.

**_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_**

**Dagobah**

Luke slid the last of the data rods into his scanner and gave a sigh of disappointment. Yoda had been right, he thought. There was nothing here to give clues on the whereabouts of possible Jedi recruits. But he had been so sure that Mace Windu would have left them some trail to follow. There had been some interesting files on various aspects of a Jedi's lightsaber training and the styles involved but that wasn't what he or Master Yoda had hoped for. Still, Luke saved the information for later – he wanted to continue to improve his lightsaber skills. As Obi-Wan had once told him, it was a discipline for the mind as well as the body.

His master was resting again. The old sage slept more and more, conserving his energy so as to be able to instil as much knowledge about the life of the Jedi as he possibly could into his young apprentice before he took his final sleep and became one with the Force. The young Jedi guessed that this wouldn't be long.

Luke gazed absently as the series of picturesque holos of various worlds as they flashed across the second hand monitor he'd picked up. He'd been so sure that they would have found some sort of clue to guide them – convinced that all he had to do was to fire up his computer and the evidence would be laid before him. Instead he had a Jedi Master's holiday guide to the pleasure worlds of the Outer Rim systems and he wasn't even certain which worlds those holos he was staring at were from. He closed his eyes and rested his head on his hands, his mind trying to think of where to go next.

_"Not ready for this knowledge are you?"_

Luke lifted his head. Yoda's voice sounded so clear that he actually turned expecting to see his old master behind him only to find that he was alone. And then it struck him. _Of course_ look at the obvious. Things are best hidden in plain sight. He could be so dense at times. How many times had he to be told? "Use the Force, Luke," he whispered.

"I am ready," he whispered. "Curse my impatience. On occasions I am blind to what is staring me in the face but I'm learning to see between the shifting layers of the Force. I'm ready to persevere in my tasks." These worlds must hold the clues and he would just have to find them.

Yoda had reached out with the Force to see if there was anything for them to find in the miscellaneous data chips and rods and had decided that there was nothing but the old Jedi was ill and wasn't seeing things with the same clarity he once had. Suppose the box had fallen into the wrong hands? A Dark Lord of the Sith, also strong in the Force, would have been able to tell if something important to the Jedi lurked in the container. Luke's own instincts had been the right ones. He had nearly forgotten to use his head. In this case, logic told him that Mace Windu may have been desperate to hide his treasures but he had never forgotten the need to see the larger picture - the need for secrecy and concealment. It could mean the future of the order he had given his life for.

He ran the sequence of pictures. None of them struck a chord in his memory. None of them were familiar apart from one – the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. He should have expected that. A picture of a sunset appeared, followed by a beautiful vista containing glorious views of hills and forests. Was it a single world or a star system, or was it just perhaps a Jedi's holiday record? Somehow Luke doubted that the last one was the right answer. This world, or if it was more than one, worlds - held the next piece of their puzzle. This was strange because up until now, Luke hadn't realised that he had a puzzle to solve.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Coruscant**

Mara sauntered casually across the gym on the pretence of checking out the many exercise machines on offer, keeping her eyes open for any sight of Leia Organa. After a while, she caught sight of a dark head of intricately braided hair through an observation viewport in one of the private studios. The princess was going through an aerobic workout with an instructor. The last princess of Alderaan _was_ keeping to a strict regime whilst on Coruscant. Good, Mara thought with satisfaction. This was the best chance she had of befriending the princess and then asking Organa casual questions about the location of her missing…'friend'. It galled her to have to do this but she'd had to use many deceptions when she'd served the Emperor.

Mara moved into the adjoining studio and began her own warm up routine, stretching muscles used in fighting as well as dancing. It wouldn't do to let her skills atrophy. Soon she had forgotten about her troubles, her job, Skywalker and even Leia Organa as she lost herself in the rhythm and melody of the music.

Leia, her own workout finished, paused in front of the observation viewport. "Who is that?" she asked her personal fitness coach curiously. "She looks familiar."

"I'm not sure, Your Highness…"

"Is she a member of staff?"

"No…I don't think so."

"She's very impressive," she commented, as the woman spun into a series of graceful leaps, her red-gold hair flying behind her as if she'd been caught by the wind.

_Red-gold hair._

Leia's brow furrowed. She'd only met one other person recently on Coruscant with hair of that particular shade. It couldn't possibly be Talon Karrde's frosty assistant, could it? It just wasn't likely. There were billions of beings on this world and more than one of them had to have a hair colour so unusual.

The fitness coach was tapping commands into a terminal Leia hadn't previously noticed. "This member's identity chip lists her name as 'Mara Jade'," he said.

It _was_ Karrde's unfriendly second-in-command but Leia would never have guessed she could move like that. In fact, the Coruscant ballet elite soloists didn't move like that. It was breathtaking. So why was she working for a smuggler when she could be a professional dancer? Then Leia considered that Talon Karrde was the most successful smuggler chief she knew – so it could be monetary.

The faint sound of the music stopped and the redhead turned abruptly as if she sensed someone watching her. Green eyes met brown through the transparisteel barrier and Mara gave a strange smile acknowledging Leia's presence. The princess inclined her head formally before leaving.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Mara allowed herself a satisfied smile after Leia had moved away. That had worked out better than she had expected. The princess had recognised her. She'd felt something like a warning – the sensation almost felt like the ones she used to experience when the Emperor had guided her with the Force but far weaker. She'd felt nothing for so long. Mara let out a sigh. Hopefully Organa would be there the following day – she wanted to talk to her. She began stowing her gear back into her carryall but was interrupted by her com.

"Jade!" she said tersely.

It was the doc-droid from the _Wild Karrde_. "The information on the data cards sent to me have been analysed and a hypothesis given. There can be no doubt at all on this matter – no doubt at all."

"Have you sent them to my apartment?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'll get back to you if I have any questions. I don't want to discuss this over an open com channel." Mara flicked off her com and quickly showered, changed and caught the first shuttle car back to her apartment building. As she walked into her lounge area she could see a light flashing on her communications console.

"You have data," the computer intoned pleasantly.

"I know that," Mara muttered. Typical artificial intelligence - always thinking they were one up on you.

She didn't think there was any truth in the rumours that Organa and Skywalker were actually related. It was far too improbable. The Jedi had lived all his life on Tatooine until he had joined the rebellion and the princess had grown up with all the privilege of rank at the royal court on Alderaan.

Mara poured herself a glass of water and seated herself at her desk and opened the file. In reality, this was a waste of time.

Coughing and spluttering as her drink went down the wrong way, she stared in shock at the data scrolling across her screen. This really wasn't possible. It just couldn't be. But Karrde's doc-droid had said there was 'no possible doubt'. There had to be a mistake somewhere. She checked and re-checked the details – no, everything was correct.

The whole thing was laid out before her. Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa weren't just distantly related; they were much more than that. The doc-droid's report stated quite categorically that they were brother and sister – in fact, they were twins.

She looked at the similarities matching their blood together and the doc-droid was right. There was no possible doubt whatsoever. Mara wondered if anyone in the New Republic hierarchy had the faintest idea about this little time bomb. Karrde had not known the whole truth though his instinct had told him something important was there. But damaging to Organa, Mara wasn't so sure. It would certainly be headline news. Another thought struck her. Did this mean that Princess Leia wasn't the child of Bail Organa? If she was, why would the Viceroy of Alderaan deny the existence of a son and heir unless he wasn't his son. And if Luke Skywalker wasn't the Viceroy's son, then Leia wasn't his daughter. Who was the father of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa and why had they been separated and raised in the manner they had been? Alderaan to Tatooine were opposite ends of the galaxy in more ways than one. Alderaan had been a planet of beauty, wealth and high culture whereas Tatooine… It barely existed.

Did the Jedi and his sister know of their hidden relationship? More questions to which Mara had no idea how to answer.

But she was convinced, more than ever, that if the twins were aware of their connection to one another, then Leia Organa knew the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker.


	12. Chapter 12

**Out of the Shadows 12**

****

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Rhea Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title and Michele and Licia for reading.

**Coruscant**

Talon Karrde stifled a yawn as he poured caf into two mugs before carrying them through to his darkened office where Mara Jade perched uncomfortably on the edge of a chair. The flickering lights of the Coruscant city traffic dappling the room in random spots of neon pinks, blues and greens revealed an unusually anxious expression. "What time of night do you call this, Mara?" he enquired calmly as he placed a mug in front of his second-in-command. He switched on a couple of lamps, illuminating her pale face more clearly.

"I had to tell you what I've found out," she mumbled with a guilty glance at her wrist chrono suddenly realising what time of night it was. "I couldn't wait and risk this being discovered by anyone else. If we can find this out then other people can do so too and…"

"Find what out?" Karrde tightened the sash of his stylish blue silk dressing gown around his waist.

"While we have this and no one else does, it's worth a lot of credits to us."

"What is?" Karrde asked, his voice measured.

Mara pushed back an escaping strand of red-gold hair into her untidy plait. "This…" She proffered a data chip.

Karrde didn't think he'd ever seen Mara Jade anything less than perfectly groomed, her whole persona tightly controlled. The escaping curls and slightly harried expression made her seem younger…more vulnerable. "Couldn't it have waited until the morning? It's the middle of my sleep cycle."

"You weren't sleeping, Karrde," Mara retorted, knowing that Karrde only slept about five hours per night.

"No," he admitted. "I was reading over a couple of reports in my bed. But another half hour and I would have been. I'm not a droid. Even I need to power down on a regular basis."

Mara sighed. "It's important."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the task we're undertaking on behalf of General Solo, would it?"

"You know it is," Mara said quietly, her usual biting sarcasm completely gone. "It stands to reason that if we know about this, someone somewhere else will find out pretty quickly. The information has escaped to us but eventually…" She closed her mouth.

"It will reach other less honourable ears," Karrde finished for her. "Are we less honourable ears, Mara?"

She gave him a surprised look, a hint of confusion flashing from between thick, dark red lashes. "I couldn't risk sending the information via the holonet or talking over the com even on an encrypted channel. I need your advice."

Karrde's sigh was resigned. "Okay, I think I understand your urgency. Tell me what you've learned." It had to be important. Mara never usually bothered him with trivialities.

In the wrong hands, Mara was certain that this information was highly dangerous, that she was holding a Class A thermal detonator in her hands. Taking a deep breath, Mara told him, wondering if Karrde was correct thinking that a smuggling organisation could be termed the 'wrong hands'. She wanted to kill Skywalker – didn't she?

"They say that fact is stranger than fiction. That's true. That last data card you gave me suggesting that Skywalker and Organa could be related – they are."

"They are?"

Mara nodded. "I had the doc-droid look at their blood test results which are on file. Leia Organa's were held at the Manarai clinic. I had to search elsewhere to find Luke Skywalker's, other than breaking into the records held by the 2-1B still serving on Admiral Ackbar's flagship. I still have some of my…alternative sources that I had as Emperor's hand." She couldn't believe that the files were still untouched in the computers three years after the death of her master. It said something for Imperial encryption and it wasn't good news for the New Republic's bureaucracy that they hadn't got round to touching all the old files yet.

"So you found other files."

"Oh, yes. Remember Skywalker's right hand is a prosthetic."

That was news to Karrde. "Is it?"

"I thought you would have known about that. He lost it in a fight against Vader on Bespin. Imperial agents picked up the severed appendage and delivered it to the Emperor."

Karrde's mouth twisted a little. "Skywalker survived. Against Vader. That _is_ impressive."

"I'll grant him that much, yes. However impressive that may be, it is not the concern here. The information collected from the hand matched what we learned from Organa's records. They cannot hide from their genetic roots."

Karrde stood still for a moment and then picked up his mug of caf. "So it is true," he said softly. "There is a stronger connection – a blood tie."

"It's more than true – they're twins. You can't get much closer than that."

Karrde paused and then took a deliberate swallow of his caf. "I see," he murmured as he placed the mug down, his expression difficult to interpret. _"Twins?"_

Mara stared at him. He'd been surprised but hadn't acted in the way she'd thought he would. "Is that it? That's all you're going to say about it."

Karrde looked at her. "What else is there to say?"

"It makes a difference."

"A difference," he echoed, as he sat down opposite her. "In what way?"

"Princess Leia Organa cannot be the real child of the last Viceroy of Alderaan."

"No, probably not."

Mara pressed forward. "There is an issue with the succession. She's not of the royal line. Should we…?"

Karrde shook his head. "No, there's not an issue – not now. She's still a hero of the Rebellion - still the same woman that became the youngest ever member of the Imperial Senate. It may cause a minor fuss amongst the holo-press for a few weeks but it should settle down. It doesn't change the fact that she's been trained for a life of politics. It won't bring back Alderaan; there's no throne for her to inherit, just crushed rocks floating in space. Her membership of the ruling council of the New Republic is not an inherited position. She deserves that."

"You think that the Emperor was wrong, don't you," Mara accused. "About Alderaan."

"So do you," Karrde returned gravely and held up his hand as Mara opened her mouth to argue. "Admit it, you do. The destruction of Alderaan hastened the Empire's end. Many more worlds turned against Palpatine's New Order when he destroyed a world of such beauty and culture."

"I did visit Alderaan," Mara whispered. "It was…a haven for traitors but no, he should not have destroyed it. Such beauty shouldn't have to vanish forever."

"And it eats into your soul that you question Palpatine's decisions - even now. He's dead, Mara. You have to move on."

"No," Mara said, her heart beating loudly in her ears, wondering if she was lying to herself. "That's not true. I have moved on."

"Have you?" Karrde could hear the pain in her voice that she tried so desperately to hide. His second-in-command was a complex woman with issues she still had to face. Was he doing the right thing by making her take on this search? Well, it was done now and he would have to take the consequences. "I'm a smuggler and a trader," he said carefully. "It doesn't pay for me to voice my opinions, Mara. I work both sides. I'm looking out for myself and my people. I have to walk that dangerous middle ground."

Mara could tell that she didn't want to get into a lengthy conversation on this subject with Karrde. She had the impression that his real feelings wouldn't agree with her own. Yes, he walked the middle path but one day he might have to choose. Mara could even admit to herself that away from her controlled life as the Emperor's hand, her views were also changing. Once she would have died rather than admit it but many beings were glad the Emperor had gone – glad that Skywalker had killed him. They saw the Jedi as their saviour not a cruel monster. They couldn't all be wrong? Of course she had moved on. She redirected the subject into safer channels. "The princess…I think she's Force sensitive. It runs stronger in some families."

"But untrained."

"Yes, of course she's untrained but she could be powerful." Mara's expression filled with regret. "I am untrained."

"In some ways," Karrde said quietly.

"In the ways that mattered. But I never realised that this was so. I wasn't aware of what I had until I lost it. Did my Master not trust me?"

Karrde shrugged. "I cannot answer that, Mara, because I do not know."

"Perhaps my skills in the Force were not strong enough to train. Since his death, you know that I now feel and sense very little." But she remembered the feeling of being watched in the gym by Leia Organa. It had almost felt like old times. The sensation had whispered across her skin and she could still feel the other woman's curiosity.

"And perhaps, if you had been trained, the Emperor might have seen you as a threat?"

"I would never… I'm not like Vader," she spat, rising to her feet. "I served my Master with all that I was. I could never have…"

"Sit down, Mara."

"I was no threat," she repeated, her fists clenched tightly.

Karrde held up his hands reassuringly. "Who can say? You recognised that Leia Organa has the power of the Force within her. There are few around now who can do that."

"I know. Your hunch paid off," Mara said quietly as she sat down.

"I don't know if it was even as strong as that. I just took note of some rumours that had been flying around just after the battle of Endor and then were very definitely silenced. I aim to cover all the bases. If it had been rubbish then no one would have been any the wiser."

"But its not rubbish."

"Do you think Skywalker and Organa know of this?" Karrde wondered.

Mara nodded. "I'm convinced that they must know. Solo also, is aware. They are too close to one another for such secrets."

"Otherwise, the Corellian would not want to find his friend so badly. He wants to do it for himself…"

"And his lover."

"As you say." Karrde drained the last drops of caf from his mug and stood up. "My impression is that there is genuine love and affection amongst Solo and his friends and that they would keep an important secret like this between them until it was ready to be divulged."

He didn't ask Mara if she recognised such emotions. She'd not given him the impression that she'd been brought up amongst a loving environment. She had revered and feared the Emperor but he couldn't say if she had genuinely loved him – he'd had her loyalty, so perhaps she might have understood Skywalker's friends keeping his business private. Mara mixed well with the rest of Karrde's group but lacked the easy camaraderie of Aves and Dankin. They respected her – but they were not her friends. There was something about her that did not invite familiarities. "I have an early meeting tomorrow and must get some sleep if I want to keep my wits about me. The beds in the guest wing are all made up. I suggest you stay here tonight. We can talk some more over breakfast if you need to."

Mara nodded, her energy dissipating, leaving her tired and a little drained. This was proving to be an emotional upheaval she hadn't expected and she'd thought she was stronger than this. But Skywalker and his people affected her strongly and not just through the Force. "I have work to do for my trip to the Corellian system next week if you have the orders ready for me?"

"Yes, I do. Goodnight, Mara. I'll see you tomorrow." He paused in the doorway. "Skywalker was trained as a Jedi, wasn't he?"

"I…think so. According to the Emperor, Skywalker's power had increased far too rapidly for him to have learned it all of his own accord. How else could he have defeated my Master and Lord Vader?"

"So who trained him?"

Mara's mouth dropped open. It wasn't something she'd ever considered before but perhaps the Emperor had. Maybe he'd known who was out there training Jedi. By all accounts Obi-Wan had died before he'd been able to do more than get the young man off Tatooine – little time for training. Skywalker hadn't been considered a real danger until much later. Although anyone who could have destroyed the Death Star in the way that Skywalker had, should have been known to the Empire much earlier. But he'd stepped off that tenth-rate dustball and straight into an x-wing. "I…I…"

"There's not exactly a plethora of Jedi wandering the galaxy at this point in time - either good or bad. I thought Obi-Wan Kenobi was supposedly the last of the Jedi?"

"He was…apart from Vader."

"And he wasn't likely to want to help Skywalker."

"No, he wanted to capture him. I suspect he thought he could influence Skywalker to help him end the life of the Emperor. Vader wasn't powerful enough to seize the throne on his own. Whatever they did worked and my Master was killed."

"So we must conclude that there's possibly another Jedi out there?" Karrde raised an eyebrow.

"There were beings with some Force powers that the Emperor knew about but he didn't consider them dangerous to him. He kept tabs on them all. None could have moved against him without his knowledge. None of them, to my knowledge, had the wherewithal to instruct a beginner. But there could be some still in hiding."

"I may regret saying this, Mara, as you're the best second-in-command I've ever had, but go and find out if there's another Jedi on the loose, apart from Skywalker, then see if they'll train you in the ways of the Force too."

"No…I…" Mara closed her eyes momentarily. "It's because of the Jedi that my master is dead. I could never be like them…I'm not strong…" Her shoulders drooped a little. "I'll think about it, but it's unlikely to happen."

"Never say never," Karrde said wisely. "Goodnight, Mara."

"Goodnight."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Almost in a daze, Mara made her way to the nearest bedchamber and readied herself for bed. Karrde always kept emergency supplies for unexpected guests so there were no problems in that respect if you turned up at one of his bases unexpectedly. She pulled on a sleeping shift and climbed into bed. Her tiredness seemed to be bone deep, yet her mind couldn't refrain from turning over what she had learned – dissecting and sifting the new evidence until it became clearer. Luke Skywalker was out there possibly with another Jedi – a Master? Who else would have the power to shield themselves from Palpatine's all-seeing eyes? Mara had herself tracked the Dark Woman allowing Vader to destroy her. It didn't matter if there were a hundred Jedi Masters out there. She would find Luke Skywalker and she would still kill him.

She awoke in the morning feeling tired but, as she had told Karrde mere hours previously, she had things to do and she wanted to speak to the smuggler chief before he left for his day's business. But Karrde was in a hurry having overslept. Mara squashed her feelings of guilt as he grabbed a bite to eat and swallowed a mug of caf without tasting its contents.

"Yes, Mara. If I learn anything new I'll contact you immediately," he muttered irritably, as he prepared to leave the office. "I will need to speak to Solo in a day or two – see if he can shed a little more light on the subject."

"Yes, that would be beneficial."

He picked up his briefcase. "I'll send the final invoices to you tomorrow or you can pick them up from me on the ship."

"I'll pick them up from the _Wild Karrde_," she said thoughtfully. "I think it's the _Starry Ice_ that we're taking on the Corellian run. I need to supervise the loading but Faughan will help and that will save time. She's coming with me."

Karrde nodded, his brow furrowing, his mind already concentrating on his upcoming meeting. "Good."

Mara returned to her office and began checking through the files again. The data on possible Jedi sightings told strange tales of mystical beings with supernatural powers. Mara wasn't convinced. Many of the testimonies did not come from what could be termed 'reliable witnesses'. Some could be instantly discarded as spice riddled but there were other testimonies which could be true – from a certain point of view. She, herself, had seen her master and Lord Vader do many miraculous things that couldn't be explained. But so could a fair-ground charlatan and their skills were based on sleight of hand and trickery.

So, in-between her work for Karrde and her visits to the gym all carefully timed to coincide with those of Princess Leia, Mara worked flat out to make some sense of the mountain of information she'd managed to accumulate. She studied, researched, checked and re-checked the data and came to one conclusion. Luke Skywalker could be anywhere. She needed a breakthrough – something that could give her any idea of where to start looking.

She pulled up a holo star chart which Karrde had bought for the office at great expense and began plotting locations important in Luke Skywalker's life – Tatooine, Yavin IV, Bespin, Hoth and Endor, against possible sightings – Sluis Van, Obroa-Skai, Dellalt and others. She gave a disgruntled sigh. Most of them weren't even in the same area of space. The elusive Jedi had to have a vast army of clones on the evidence so far. There was absolutely no recognisable pattern to his supposed movements. Even trying to combine the two themes told her nothing new. Luke Skywalker could be anywhere.

"Hold on," Mara murmured softly to herself. "What do we have here?" She paused as one tale of unexplained deliverance jumped out at her. A remote scientific cum trading post in the region just beyond Hutt Space had been attacked by a group of pirates. The small, mainly human population had been warned by a mysterious hooded man and had barely escaped with their lives. When they'd returned to their homes it was to find that many of the pirates had been killed and the stranger had vanished – they'd never seen him again. The report detailed the strange marks on the corpses. They hadn't been shot or stabbed. There were rumours of a strange glowing sword. It wasn't a weapon any of them were familiar with. The indigenous people spoke of a vengeful spirit which would protect them from such evil. It had later been rumoured that the pirates had been employed by an ambitious Moff. When the attack had failed, the unknown Moff had fallen from power. It had been another reason for a once secure sector to slip from Imperial grasp and eventually fall to the Rebel Alliance.

Had anyone considered lightsaber cuts? There were no Jedi around therefore such evidence would be unusual. Experts would not know exactly what to look for and the glowing sword was a bit of a dead giveaway to her. Had Skywalker gone to the aid of this settlement? She brought it up on the holomap. Not too far from the planet Rinn. Where was that again? She found it located on the edge of Hutt Space and finally remembered it as another supporter of the Rebel cause. "Outer Rim…" she muttered. "Typical." But Rinn was too far to really matter. Or at least that was what she had once thought.

The Rebellion had been born in the depths of space and it had flourished out there on the Rim gradually creeping closer until it had reached the heart of the galaxy. That was why there were x-wings in monument plaza and holos of Rebels in the galactic museum.

Her com console gave a welcome interrupting beep. "Mara Jade," she answered.

"It's Karrde."

"You have information?" He could have been contacting her to liaise over the upcoming trading run but Mara felt otherwise.

"I've just been speaking to Solo…"

"And?"

"He was telling me a strange little story about some Jedi artefacts which turned up in the back of a cupboard in some library somewhere in the Mid-Rim and then mysteriously vanished."

"Vanished?" Mara repeated. "How?"

"No idea. They were definitely there. Organa was shown lightsabers over the holonet. When they sent Wedge Antilles to collect the stuff it had gone."

"This was a recent occurrence?"

"Yes, I think so," Karrde said.

"That could narrow things down quite a bit." Mara's breath quickened. "Where was this?"

"Praesitlyn."

"Praesitlyn," Mara repeated and a long dormant memory stirred. "I've been there once, I think, but it was a long time ago - when I was a child. It certainly used to be an Imperially held world. It didn't openly sympathise with the Rebellion and I can't imagine it would be the kind of place that might have sheltered a Jedi. Did you ask about…?"

"No. I didn't think it was the right moment and definitely not over the com."

"I suppose not. Anyone could be listening even if it is encrypted – there are ways and means as Ghent would surely tell us. Tell me about Praesitlyn. It's not high on the list of exciting places to be unless it has changed drastically."

"It's still a glorified trading post with a good communications centre. It was useful for the Empire because of its proximity to the Sluis Van shipyards. The Praesitlyn University has a reasonably good reputation because it trained many of the skilled workers."

"Tell me any details you have about this mysterious theft," Mara demanded. This was more like it. Stories from Solo concerning Wedge Antilles were less likely to be fables. Karrde dutifully filled in Mara with the rest of the story he had heard from Solo.

"Okay," she said thoughtfully, adding Praesitlyn to her holomap of places Skywalker might have visited and noted the cluster appearing around the Rimma trade route. "Next time I'm out that way I'll check it out. I'm not so sure about someone apart from Skywalker being interested in Jedi stuff."

"And Mara…"

"Yes?"

"Solo was telling me that it looks as if they've uncovered some Jedi stuff in a building that was being cleared for demolition."

"Where?"

"He didn't say but I gather it's on Coruscant."

"Imperial Centre?"

"Possibly."

Mara pursed her lips thoughtfully. She had an idea of exactly where but would have to check Old Republic maps of the city to be definite. There were too many coincidences happening and it was almost as if a greater power was at work. "They'll have some of the archaeologists in doing a quick check over of the site before the construction droids move in to totally obliterate the place."

"Yes, once that happens there will be very little evidence left. But time is money, if new living areas are required."

"They are but I have an idea about this particular location and if I'm right, that will mean politicians like Organa may want to stall the demolition."

Karrde's voice was knowing. "Her brother being a Jedi perhaps?"

"Exactly. Could you contact Solo and see if you can get him to tell you exactly where this is happening and if not, get Ghent to check all the new planning applications? On second thought, just get Ghent to do it. I'd like to be sure about this before we say anything more. Leave Solo out of the equation for the moment."

"He's the one with the credit pouch, Mara."

"Yes, but sometimes it's easier to find out information on our own terms and then tell the client what he wants to know. It gives us extra bargaining power. I'll speak to him after I finish the next trading run." She clicked off her com and checked her wrist chrono. It was time she headed to the gym and checked in with Leia Organa. This would be her last opportunity before she headed out on the trading run. She might even manage to exchange greetings this time. It was unlikely, but if the woman was alone without her minders there was a chance. She just had to remember to be pleasant to her.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**_Starry Ice – _****Somewhere in hyperspace, Corellian Run**

"What do you mean we're not stopping on Corellia? Karrde's changed the orders?" Mara questioned in surprise as she stared at the flight plan. This wasn't the one that she had originally plotted. "When did he decide that?"

Shirlee Faughan, a round faced, pleasant individual with a head of mousy brown curls, shrugged as she checked the navigational controls. "Just before we took off."

"So we're carrying the wrong cargo." Mara clenched her fists in frustration. It had not been a good day. She'd been unable to get near the princess because of her security guards. They'd bristled in an obvious fashion every time she'd tried to approach Organa's exercise room. And now Karrde had just added to her ire. "Men!"

Faughan gave Mara a quick glance from the corner of her eyes before continuing with prepping the ship for departure. "Karrde's not the worst. You must have worked for others who aren't as reasonable. We're still dropping off the cargo but on the way home. We aren't carrying very much after all. It only takes up one of the cargo holds. He wants us first to do a pick up instead. This one is by far the more urgent of the jobs we have to do."

"How many extra days in space?"

"Just a couple I think. We've just to head a little further than we originally intended."

"Where?" Mara held onto her irritation and felt justified in doing so.

"Froz and Druckenwell."

"Sithspawn! I hate Froz; the natives are depressing and Druckenwell's not much better – there's nothing there apart from factories and mine works," Mara moaned aloud. But she had to admit that it made sense. Whining about it wouldn't change the fact that she had a job to do.

"Not too fond of Druckenwell myself. It's overcrowded worse than Coruscant. We don't have to stay there long. Do what we have to do and then we can drop off the Corellian cargo on the way home." Faughan held up a holocube. "Karrde's left details on this. Honestly, it was a last minute thing and we're the only ship out in this direction. Froz is only a couple of hours from Corellia and Druckenwell, about four from Froz. That's if we stay on the Corellian Run."

"I'm not planning on leaving the space lanes and adding time to a journey I hadn't realised was to be extended. We'll stay on the Corellian Run."

"I'll take the first shift," Faughan said, settling herself into the pilot's seat.

Mara retreated to her cabin on the _Starry Ice _leaving Faughan to handle the ship. She'd never been one for idle girlish chatter and Faughan was more than capable of piloting them where they had to go. She'd hoped to be away for a couple of days at the most and now it looked as if her trip was going to last twice the length it should. Corellia was only four hours from Coruscant.

Karrde's message was full of apologies and Mara couldn't hang onto her ire any longer. She read over her new orders with disinterest. There was nothing to worry about – this was a routine job. She settled down to sleep. She'd learned to take naps whenever she could while the ship was in hyperspace. Four hours later she took over at the controls.

The business on Froz took a mere couple of hours and soon they were accelerating away from the planet heading towards the point where the navicomp told them it was safe to make the jump to hyperspace.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

**Il ****Avila****City**** - Druckenwell**

"But you must stay and see the parade. It will be far less busy at the spaceport tomorrow. There will not be leaving slots today."

Mara cursed under her breath. The man she was dealing with, Pavlo Suarete, was a long-time business associate of Karrde's. He was only trying to be hospitable but when all Mara wanted was to get back to Coruscant, it was very trying on her patience. "Parade?"

"Druckenwell has had many hard times. Long ago, mistakes were made - errors to increase our prosperity at the expense of our world. We mechanised at the expense of our survival and our Imperial occupiers did nothing to stop our descent into madness."

'Great,' Mara thought sourly, 'another _friend_ of the Empire.' "But you are surviving, Citizen Suarete."

"We are and the parade is a celebration of our survival." He ushered her from his offices out into the open air. The crush of beings pressed against them as they fought their way to what Suarete declared would be a great vantage point. Mara concluded that most of the citizens in Il Avila City agreed with him.

"Of course," Mara said. She now knew why Faughan had been so eager that Mara should enjoy Pavlo Suarete's hospitality. She couldn't even remember Coruscant being this crowded. 'Wait until I get back to the ship,' she vowed silently. 'She'll regret this little stunt.' Faughan had obviously visited Druckenwell and Pavlo Suarete before.

"We have managed to preserve many of our dying species of flora and fauna."

Mara stifled a yawn as her host began babbling in her ear. If she'd still been the Emperor's hand she could have just slipped her wrist blaster into her hand and discharged its contents with pleasure. But Suarete was a friend of Karrde's and her boss wouldn't be too happy if she sent his comrade to be with his maker. He did good business.

"And of course we have many happy events during this season."

"Huh," she muttered. "Happy events?"

"Our people do not marry until they have proved that they are financially independent."

"Good reason for marriage," Mara managed to say. "If you are interested in marriage."

"You are not married?"

Mara rolled her eyes. "No," she said shortly, not inviting any more personal questions.

"Not met the right being, I expect," he said kindly. "Many get married during this time and we celebrate with them. If you stick around perhaps you will meet someone suitable."

Mara stared around her and could see various large repulsor craft decorated with themes important to the people. One float even had a large ronto drawing it. A very nervous looking animal, Mara thought uneasily. Rontos were known to be skittish and easily spooked. She was even surprised that there were any on the planet. There was certainly no space for it to roam free. She could see the driver raise a large whip and bring it down sharply across the animal's leathery skin. The animal twisted his enormous head and snapped at small one person vehicles that were darting around over the parade route checking that the event was ready to begin.

"We'll go this way," Suarete instructed. "The tourists come to Il Avila to watch the spectacle, a good time for business. Also citizens from the other continents come to watch and always they buy. It's fairly busy here today."

"You don't say," she muttered dryly.

"Follow me and stay close."

Mara squeezed between two rather fat humans only to find her way being blocked by a couple of enormous Wookiees. She eased past them and concentrated on following her guide. The sooner she was back in the ship the better. In the background she could hear the ronto baying its distress into the air.

Suddenly her danger sense erupted and her eyes darted around seeking the source of the disturbance. Around her, beings began running and shrieking in fear. It was the ronto. The crazed animal had panicked and broken free from its restraints. The walkway shook as the ronto lurched into a pounding run as fast as it could, sending tiny speeders and other larger craft flying in all the wrong directions. Something crashed against a shop front with a sickening crunch.

"Sith!" Mara swore and took a step, avoiding a piece of metal that just missed her head by inches. Just ahead of her, a small male child had become separated from his adult companion and stood wailing piteously right in the path of the frightened ronto.

Mara opened her mouth and nothing came out. She swallowed and tried again. Her voice bellowed, "Move!"

But the child only screamed louder reacting to the anguished cries of the beings unable to get to him. With another muffled curse, not stopping to consider the recklessness of her actions, Mara threw herself in front of the stampeding animal, only to find that both she and the child had been swept up into the arms of a stranger. The child was miraculously thrown free, landing safely in someone's arms and Mara found herself rolling over and over and over across the dusty stone flagged street pressed close against the man's hard body as stampeding feet and careering vehicles trampled the place where she and the child would have been.

Whoever he was, he had saved her life and that of the child. She lay, pressed against him, breathing heavily. But something alive buzzed inside her. As soon as he had touched her it was as if the lights of Coruscant itself had been lit inside her. She could feel the Force around her once more but not as she had when she'd been with Palpatine. This was different – clearer and brighter than anything she'd ever experienced. What had just happened to her?

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Luke stared around the busy walkway a little nervously. This was much further into the Mid-Rim than he'd wanted to come but needs must. Something connected to his search would be found here. Both he and his master had foreseen it. It wasn't the world pictured in the recording rods and chips left by Mace Windu. Druckenwell was an over-industrialised planet but something here could help him find it. He didn't know what or where it was but he trusted in the Force.

But did it have to be in the middle of the celebration season? He discovered that every cycle they held a grand parade in the centre of Il Avila City. He supposed that it was good that he'd arrived when he had. The presence of so many beings in a celebratory mood gave him the anonymity he required. Up ahead, a ronto tossed its head nervously. Luke eyed the massive creature warily. There were far too many people milling about waiting for the parade to start and his experiences on Tatooine told him that rontos didn't like crowds or sudden loud noises…or fireworks.

It was then that something whispered to him through the Force and as he turned, he saw her. He could hardly believe it. She was real, she existed and she was as beautiful as he'd imagined. This was impossible - it had to be a vision or perhaps he was back on Dagobah dreaming.

_'Mara.'_

Her name echoed over and over in his mind. He'd never met her before, had only seen her in his visions and kept her in his imagination. "Mara," he whispered, knowing that the Force had granted him knowledge of her name.

And then chaos erupted as the ronto, spooked by the sound of exploding rockets, broke into a run dragging the enormous repulsorlift platform he'd been supposed to pull. People ran screaming in all directions. Small one-man speeders crashed into walls and other vehicles as they tried to get away from the massive, out-of-control animal pulling the huge repulsor float. There were too many people. Luke pushed against the mass of people as he fought to see where the red-haired woman was. She'd been just there, he thought. It was then that the feeling of immediate danger hit him. He caught sight of her again and what she was doing made his blood run cold. She had darted out in front of the lumbering ronto after a small, petrified child. Luke could see that she and the child weren't going to make it unless he did something. "So much for leading a quiet secluded existence away from the public eye so that you can train, Skywalker," he mumbled to himself.

"Out of my way," he shouted, making his decision instantly, and with Force enhanced swiftness threw himself straight into the path of the approaching wave of carnage. Something exploded to the left of him but he ignored it and grabbed the woman and the wailing child. The child he sent with the Force into the safe arms of a passer-by. He pulled the woman close, feeling the ground shaking and began to roll across the street, avoiding them both being crushed to death.

For a moment they lay still, pressed together on the ground. The woman's legs seemed to be tangled up with the long brown cloak that Luke was wearing, her chest rising and falling against his as they both breathed hard, trying to regain the oxygen that had been knocked out of them.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently, staring at her, his blue eyes intense, trying to memorise every lovely feature in front of him. She was actually real and the most beautiful thing he'd ever held in his arms. He hadn't dreamt her after all. She'd been in his future and something told him that their paths were forever interlinked. His powers were much stronger now that his training with Yoda was nearly complete, yet he still felt the wonder of a new discovery as the Force showed it to him.

He touched lightly against her mind without entering and felt real Force power but it had been trapped behind a barrier - a dark shadow across her mind. He didn't understand why this was so but it had been placed there deliberately. This was not natural to this woman.

The emerald green eyes widened as Mara realised she was still lying on the ground wrapped in the arms of a perfect stranger. "Let go of me," she bit out, squirming beneath him, her manner hostile. "What did you do that for?"

"Just trying to save your life," Luke said calmly, not relinquishing his secure grip in the slightest.

Mara frowned and managed to glare at him. "I was in no danger."

"I disagree. You would not have been able to get yourself and the child away in time. One of you would have been badly hurt or worse." Her attitude reminded him of Han Solo at his most truculent. He just had to be patient and she would either calm down or blow up. There would be no half measures.

"I would have managed," she maintained.

She knew this man from somewhere. He was young – about her age, bearded with fairish hair and blue eyes. The body still pressed against her, was firm and muscular and he held her with the tenderness of a lover. She could feel his regard. Her breath caught in her throat. She could _feel _his regard? Mara swallowed, bewilderment rushing through her. She could _feel – with the Force_? "Let go of me," she ground out, slightly panicked. What was happening to her? For months…years…she had been almost Force-blind and now it was like having the Coruscant laser show inside her head.

"Do I have to?" he asked, a whimsical smile touching the edge of his lips.

"Yes. Get off me."

"But I was just getting comfortable."

Mara gave a snort and another glare for good measure. "I will not spend my time lying in the middle of a street in Il Avila with a strange man just because he feels 'comfortable.' I'm not a form chair."

"No, you're definitely not that," Luke said. He could feel her rounded female contours as they pressed against him.

"The parade will start now that they've got rid of that animal," she said with feeling. "We could still be flattened."

"No injuries?" He pulled away from her and stood up holding out his hand to help her up.

"I can manage," she muttered churlishly, ignoring his hand, because she missed the strangely comforting feel of his arms about her. How could she feel this way about a man she'd just met? How could she feel that she knew him? "Thanks." She quickly checked her clothing. "Everything's fine. I've got to go…" Mara turned away, brushing the dust from her tunic and made for where she thought Suarete would be waiting. For the first time in years, her mind buzzed with the sensations of other beings around her.

"Mara…"

She froze. "What did you say?" How could he know her name? She'd not told him her name. "How do you…?" And then she swivelled around, looked at him properly and saw behind the simple disguise. It couldn't be! But it was. "You!" she hissed, her eyes darkening with anger, her hands clenching into fists. _How could he know her name?_

"Ah!" he murmured softly. Luke was taken aback at the resentment he could hear in her voice and the darkness of antagonism colouring her sense. She knew him. That was always possible even if it had been three years since he'd lived a normal life. But what had he done to her to make her dislike him so? "Yes, it's me," he said gravely. "But it's not time for us yet. I'm sorry." And as a party of drunken revellers chose that moment to come between them, Luke used the opportunity to slip away. Mara was left in the teeming street on her own.

"Us?" she murmured. "But I'm going to…"

_"You will kill Luke Skywalker."_

From another time she heard her master's voice giving her his last command but it lacked the strength and vitriolic bite that she remembered.

_"You will kill Luke Skywalker."_


	13. Chapter 13

**Out of the Shadows 13**

****

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title.

**Druckenwell**

Mara peered through the crowds as they settled down to watch the parade after the minor excitement of the rampaging ronto. As if by magic, Luke Skywalker had completely disappeared from view and it _had_ been Luke Skywalker. There was no doubt in Mara Jade's mind – none whatsoever. It certainly solved the 'was he alive or dead' debate and it definitely gave her some information to deliver back to Karrde and Han Solo. She lifted her head and stared up into the upper walkway levels trying to spot Karrde's friend. It was time to leave Druckenwell. Il Avila's, at best, dubious charm had swiftly faded.

Suddenly without warning, a sharp, tearing pain lanced through her head. "Aaagh!" She let out a surprised scream, her hands moving to clutch her temples. Agony swept through her, her eyes screwed shut. A fleeting image of wrinkled, claw-like hands touching her skin flashed into her mind and a woman's anguished cry echoed through her head. It was as if something or someone precious had been torn from her. What in the name of the sith had just happened? She felt as if a heavy blindfold had been obscuring her senses and had suddenly been ripped away and she could see again. She glanced surreptitiously around her but Il Avila's noisy inhabitants hadn't appeared to notice her discomfort. They were more focused on the parade and the chance to feast late into the evening.

She frowned. She could gauge how the people were feeling? She reached out a little farther but all she could sense was a vague emotional contentment and, yes, a chance to enjoy themselves before the winter months set in.

_'I'm sorry, Mara.'_

Mara searched around for whoever was addressing her by name but the populace hurried by intent on their own purposes. "Hello! Pavlo? Who…?" There was nobody speaking to her – no-one knew who she was. There was no sign of Pavlo Suarete. In any case, the voice was different. Was she hearing things inside her own head? She could have sworn…

_'I'm sorry, Mara.'_ The words sounded again – stronger this time. '_I never meant to hurt you.'_

Hearing voices had never been classed as good. "I'm imagining things," she muttered, shaking her head a little and wincing as an echo of the pain made itself felt. But she was already reaching out towards Luke's Skywalker's potent presence in the Force with her own.

_'So you can hear me – good.'_

"I'm imagining things," she repeated a little desperately. The voice was low and warm, an educated voice, but with a hint of a soft burr which made her think of clear skies and sunny days.

_'No, you're not imagining anything. This is real and it's happening.'_

_'You can hear me?' _Mara sent to the anonymous being.

_'Clear as the wind singing through a Vors crystal cathedral.'_

_'You've been on Vors?'_ Mara screwed up her face in disgust. Was that all she could think of to say?

_'I've been there…once,'_ he admitted. '_It was a beautiful experience and one I shall never forget.'_

_'Skywalker?'_

_'Yes, that is my name.'_

This couldn't be what she thought it was – could it?Not since she'd served Palpatine had she been able to communicate with another so clearly. She was conversing with Luke Skywalker and didn't need to open her mouth. She went a little cold, a shiver running through her. She had begun to enjoy her freedom to do what she wanted when she wanted to do it and wasn't sure if she desired another voice inside her head. Especially the one that belonged to her Master's murderer.

"Where are you?" she demanded, swinging around, her small holdout blaster appearing in her hand. "What have you done to me?" But none of the revellers surrounding her resembled the young man in the brown cloak.

_'I have undone what was already done. You deserve freedom…'_

_'Freedom! Freedom?'_ Mara didn't understand. She _was_ free.

_'Now is not the time to explain but we shall meet again. You are strong in the Force, be mindful of your anger. It can lead to the dark side.'_

Luke knew now that their meeting again was inevitable. Their kind had to seek others like themselves or wither away into bitterness. This was why he'd been so desperate to leave Tatooine without knowing why. He unconsciously sought other Jedi. If his aunt and uncle hadn't been killed, he would have gone to Obi-Wan or Obi-Wan would have stated his claim and come for him – possibly the more likely scenario. His uncle would not have liked it but Luke knew that Owen would eventually have let Obi-Wan train him. Or if he'd finally been allowed to take a place at the Academy he might have attracted the attention from the darker side of the Force-aware. Luke shuddered. He knew how the dark side could twist the simplest things out of proportion. Now, Mara would need the contact of other Force users.

_'You can count on meeting me again, Skywalker,'_ she answered coldly, all the while shaking in amazement over the ease with which they were communicating with one another through the Force. She'd thought her Force ability had died and yet, she was talking to the Jedi as if they were standing next to one another. She turned her head sharply just in case he was there but there was still no sign of him.

_'A promise?'_

_'A threat.'_

Luke was taken aback. He hadn't imagined the animosity inherent in her words. She didn't know him, had never met him before and yet had made up her mind about him. This was more than mere dislike. Why did she dislike him so much? What had he done to deserve such hatred? It could prove to be a problem but he would leave it in the hands of the Force for now.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

"I was wondering when you were going to join me," Faughan uttered as Mara boarded the _Starry Ice._

"I got delayed," Mara snapped.

"You okay?" Faughan asked, giving Mara a wary look.The redhead's manner was decidedly surly and Karrde's people had already learned that the unpredictability of her moods meant that sometimes Mara had to be treated with some caution

"I'm fine," Mara said with an irritable sigh, wondering if the changes she'd felt happening inside her head had manifested themselves in signs visible to anyone who looked at her. It wasn't fair of her to take out her frustrations on an innocent Faughan. "Suarete's annoyingly pleasant but persistent. He doesn't fit the image of a cut-throat operator. He was nice but…unrelenting."

"Why do you think I didn't go? I had to deal with old Pavlo the last time we visited Il Avila."

"The deal was done, signed and sealed but he kept going with the bargaining."

"That's why he's successful. It's the persistence of the man. Beings buy extra quantities just to make him go away and he knows it." Faughan tapped commands into the console in front of her. "You sure you're okay? You seem a little pale to me."

"It was very hot and crowded out there and I'm usually pale," Mara dismissed her colleague's concerns sharply. "Goes with the hair."

"That's Druckenwell during the celebrations season for you - busy. Another reason why Karrde sent us. He dislikes this world even when it's quiet." Faughan strapped herself into the pilot's chair and started prepping the ship for launch. "And I wish I had had hair like yours."

Mara curled her lip. "Yeah, right."

Faughan shrugged. "Firing up the converters right about now."

"Good – the sooner we're away from here the better." Mara slipped into the co-pilot's seat and began to assist the other woman. As she did so, Mara stared out of the viewport wondering if, somewhere in the spaceport, there was an x-wing snubfighter belonging to Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight. He was reported as being a brilliant pilot – one of the best ever seen it was said. If there was a ship, she couldn't see it. Instead, boxy shuttles and rusting tramp freighters filled her gaze.

Dimly, she heard Faughan asking for clearance for take-off, her mind still spinning with what she had encountered just less than an hour ago. What had actually happened to her? Mara wasn't exactly sure but something important certainly had occurred and she couldn't explain it. Mara didn't like having to deal with things that she could not explain.

Skywalker had been on Druckenwell and had managed to get himself inside her head without an invitation. Indeed, he was powerful as the Emperor had foreseen. But the feeling was very different than the one that Palpatine had invoked. This had been one of the most amazing coincidences ever. Standing in a crowded thoroughfare on an insignificant Mid-Rim world and her most important target had saved her life. She could feel the coldness of her blaster in its wrist holster next to her skin. She could have ended things right there, fulfilled her final mission for her master but she hadn't. Why not? Was it because he had saved her life? She didn't think so – she'd never been one for sentimental gestures.

"Yes, the _Starry Ice_ is ready…Mara!" Faughan stopped answering the queries from spaceport control and turned to her colleague in exasperation. "_Mara? Are you listening to me? _"

Mara shook herself out of her fog as Faughan's impatience caught her. She couldn't plot points on the navicomp with her head in a mess like this. She had to start concentrating or she would land them smack in the middle of a star, or worse, sucked down a black hole and Karrde wouldn't be pleased if that happened. "Yes, I'm listening. Punch it."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Standing in a badly illuminated section of the spaceport allowed Luke the opportunity to watch the departure of the _Starry Ice _before proceeding to the private docking bay he'd rented. Cloaking himself with the Force had meant that he could follow the redheaded woman back to where she'd finished some sort of business with an older, swarthy, human male and then she'd headed towards the spaceport and what looked to be an Action V transport ship. The Rebellion had utilised several of them, he recalled. So she meant to leave immediately, he thought. Would she tell the first holo-reporter she saw that she'd met him or would she keep her counsel? He made an educated guess that she was probably working for one of the galaxy's many smuggling groups.

Luke had to admit that the woman fascinated him with her complex mixture of fierceness and femininity. He'd never met anyone like her - in his dreams or in reality - and he couldn't predict her reactions apart from one thing; they would meet again.

Luke had come to Druckenwell to search for something connected to his quest but had instead stumbled across the woman he had glimpsed amongst his visions and dreams. Was this the reason Druckenwell had called so strongly to both himself and Master Yoda? Was this woman called Mara the cause?

"Well, old girl?" He rubbed his hand affectionately over the hull of his ship and a little more paint peeled off. Did she look as shabby as he thought she did? It was, of course, a deception. The innards were in as good a shape as they'd ever been. But when would that deception become a reality? It could happen that through various circumstances his beloved ship was not capable of flying? She did look a bit sorry for herself. His lip firmed determinedly. As soon as he returned to the galaxy and reality, he would have his x-wing given a complete overhaul by the best techs Rogue squadron utilised. "Artoo?" he called. "You awake?"

There was a burst of indignant electronic speech. Of course he was awake. He'd been left to guard the ship. Artoo took his duties where Master Luke was concerned very seriously. Organic lifeforms were too illogical to look after themselves properly. He should have been accompanying his master. The ship could take care of itself. Master Luke was an altogether different case.

"I'm sorry, little fella," Luke apologised to the rotund little droid. "But it was too busy out there for droids and, yes, thank you for watching the ship. It's the truth, Artoo. Someone would have trod on you or knocked you over."

Artoo whirled his head.

"We're going home…no, not Coruscant - Dagobah. Coruscant's not home…yet. Did I find what I was looking for?" Luke shrugged. "I'm not sure. I certainly found something I didn't expect to find."

The droid beeped a question and he mounted the ladder. "Yes, Artoo, fire her up. We need to get on our way. We've been here for too long already."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Back on Dagobah a day later, on jumping lightly from the ship, he found that Yoda was waiting for him in the clearing he always used as a landing area. "Master Yoda – how are you feeling?"

Yoda fixed him with an intense stare and dismissed his apprentice's concern over his health. "Sense you have news I do."

"I found the woman I saw in my vision," Luke said trying and failing to keep his excitement at bay. "She was there on Druckenwell."

Yoda gave a dry little chuckle. "Make her sound like an object you do. Lost was she?"

Luke pondered on Yoda's question. He had thought of little else but the beautiful stranger he'd saved from the ronto's feet. "I think she might be," he said slowly. "She hasn't yet found her way. She seems to either be a trader or a smuggler - or both."

"Ah," the old Jedi said comprehending Luke's words. "Doubtful you sense her path to be…clouded her future."

"Yes," Luke whispered. "She's angry inside – resentful, bitter and yes, lost. She's trying to find her way in a galaxy that isn't what it was."

Yoda sighed and shook his head. "That happened to many, including yourself, young one."

"Her mind had been deliberately closed to the Force."

"Deliberately?" Yoda's echoed sharply. "What mean you by this?"

"A dark shadow…" Luke sighed. "…a barrier. That's the only way that I can explain what it felt like. I touched her and felt real raw power. She's very strong – as strong as Leia is, perhaps even stronger - but something was preventing her from accessing her abilities."

"And remove it you did." It wasn't a question. Yoda knew his apprentice very well by now. The boy still found it hard to be patient but he had a good heart and only wanted to help. He thought little of his own troubles. Into trouble it led him so many times. "Wise do you think that was if so angry she is? Waited you should have."

"No one should have such a barrier placed upon them – this could eventually corrupt beyond redemption. I had to free her to allow her to become herself again even if we don't like what she could become. I could not begin to train her the way she is right now. There is too much anger inside her heart. Darkness and despair are her probable companions. We have to give her a chance to heal."

Yoda gave a reluctant nod. "Your reasoning I see and sound it is. You have learned much. Your own Jedi you are and a good thing this is."

"Who could have done such thing?"

"The questions you should be asking are not 'who could have done such a thing' but 'who had the power.'"

Luke nodded his head slowly. "Another Jedi?"

"Or a sith. The Jedi were gone, youngling."

"A sith! Force, the Emperor?"

"Destroy all the Force sensitives he discovered Palpatine did not. Some he used for his own ends."

"She did not feel evil to me, only…angry."

"To the dark side anger leads. That you know. Many times have I told you."

Luke's head bowed. "Yes." Then he lifted his head and stared straight at Yoda, belief shining on his face. "But I'm not the naïve, impatient boy I once was. I have learned many things from you. You've trained me to lead the Jedi into the new age and to be able to make my own decisions. I'm on familiar terms with darkness. I feel it in myself and daily I struggle to conquer it and I shall win – I have to. I can recognise it in others because I can see myself in them. This girl isn't evil but without true access to the light side of the Force, the darkness will corrupt her. She blames me…" he said, understanding dawning on his face. "She blames me for her problems. That is the reason she hates me so much. Do you really think she could have been connected to the Emperor?"

"Perhaps. The sith only two there are - a master and an apprentice."

"Palpatine had Vader…and then me, if I had turned. But he, the Emperor, would not have allowed me to be with my father. He wanted me to kill Vader and take my place at his side. But I could not – Anakin was still there inside him." Luke clenched his prosthetic hand and took a shaky breath. "Would he…the Emperor, have kept others under his control as well as Vader?"

"Possible this is. Dark side servants there were. None of them your father's strength or skill had. Replace your father at Palpatine's side they could not. Weak without their own kind – kept secret and apart. Only you the strength had to become Palpatine's apprentice. Replace your father you would have. If you did not join them, die you had to – a real threat were you. Too powerful with the light side proved you to be."

"I must find her again." Luke saw her proud face again in his mind and felt her coldness. Inside him was a desire to replace the frost with warmth.

"See through you I do." Yoda's face held a knowing expression.

Luke's face coloured a little. He'd never been able to act casually among attractive women. Han and the other Rogues had always teased him about it. He did what he usually did and tried to change the conversation. "Did you know that she would be on Druckenwell? Did you foresee it?" he asked. "All I sensed was that we would be given another clue, another part of our puzzle. Instead, I find more questions."

Yoda shook his head. "No. Like you, only that there was something we needed to find I thought. The Force guides our actions. Acted with the Force you did?"

"Yes."

"Then help us to rebuild the Jedi this woman will."

"But how to find her again?"

"If it is meant to be, find her you will. Now discuss this no more tonight. Tired you look. We must eat. Your strength to continue your training you need."

"Her name is Mara. That's all the Force gave me."

"Recall any younglings born with that name I cannot. But a dark time it was and many Jedi died. We could not know all who had produced children and away I was, kept from where I needed to be by Palpatine's schemes. Our message changed. Keep any surviving Jedi away from the Core worlds we had to do. Prevent younglings from arriving at the temple. Perhaps one was brought that killed was not but kept."

Yoda turned away, his stooped shoulders heaving in distress and Luke suddenly understood something. His old Master partly blamed himself for the decline and death of the Jedi Order. He felt that he should have comprehended that it was Palpatine's dark side machinations playing them all like puppets. He should have foreseen what was to happen. He had sensed the darkness approaching but had been unable to act in time.

"You blame yourself," Luke said softly."

The old Jedi stopped and sighed but did not turn and face his apprentice. "I do. Sensed great trouble I did, but too trusting was I. Blinded by my own pride and yes, lack of patience had I. The Sith…prepared to wait for thousands of years for power they were. The Jedi…too insular, too sure of their own superiority, their faith in goodness prevailing over evil. Our downfall it proved to be. My exile to wait until you to train I could."

"It wasn't your fault," Luke said quietly.

Yoda did turn then, his luminous eyes holding the sorrow of the galaxy within them. "In my head I am aware my fault it was not but my heart tells me otherwise."

"It wasn't your fault," Luke repeated. "You did what you had to do – you had to survive. I needed you."

Yoda managed a small smile, touched by the words of his last and greatest apprentice. "Come…come, it is time to eat."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

**Coruscant**

Leia finished her workout with a sigh of relief and turned automatically to look through the viewport where Talon Karrde's red-headed assistant would normally be dancing with all the skill of a professional. She hadn't been there for the past week; maybe she'd left Coruscant on a smuggling trip. Han had said that Karrde maintained several bases in various locations around the galaxy. But no, the familiar music could be heard – a faint drum beat combining with a swirl of scurrying strings echoed through the walls. The woman finished with a series of agile leaps across the room, her face and arms extended upwards.

Leia compared what she had seen with her own, more mundane, aerobic routine. She was fit but couldn't move like Mara Jade. Still - she bolstered her flagging self-esteem - she wasn't a complete slouch either. She checked her programme and found that tomorrow she would be increasing her combat work and improving her hand-to-hand fighting skills. Han had insisted on it. He wanted to make sure that if she ever lost her protection and he and Chewie weren't around, she would know what to do in a crisis. General Airen Cracken, head of the Alliance intelligence service, had arranged for one of his best instructors to teach her. They couldn't allow their survival skills to grow lax even now. There would always be another threat.

Mara switched off the music and pocketed her disc before making her way out of the studio, her towel around her shoulders. She'd again sensed Leia's dark eyes observing her routine but this time the feeling was clearer – far sharper than before. It was as if she'd suddenly come alive again through the Force. Someone had flicked an imaginary switch and she knew who that was but would anyone believe her. It was kind of difficult to believe herself but the Force was part of her life again and she knew who was responsible. It was difficult for her to muster up any form of gratitude.

"Why hello, Mistress Jade. That was most impressive," Leia said warmly. "I haven't seen you for quite a few days."

"Business," Mara grunted suspiciously. The woman was a born politician. She could almost accept that Organa was sincere. But she then realised that she'd found someone who might just believe her if she told them.

"Business is good?"

Mara blinked. Leia had waited for her and was actually trying to make some feeble sort of attempt at small talk? She managed to curve her lips into a smile as she answered the question. "Thank you and yes, business is fine." Polite small talk was one way to start getting acquainted. Mara squashed her impatience. She would get nowhere if she demanded the information she burned to know. "I just returned yesterday."

"Somewhere interesting, I hope?" Leia began to walk with her towards the female changing area.

"Not really. One spaceport looks very like another after a while."

"Yes, it can." Leia thought bleakly of her days as a wanted fugitive, trying to rustle up supplies and support for the rebellion.

Mara's voice was clipped. "Business is business – I don't have to like the place I have to go to."

'Ah,' Leia thought, subduing a smile. Mara's business wasn't up for discussion. "I caught the end of your routine – it was most impressive. Have you had professional dance training? You're certainly good enough."

"I had excellent teachers," Mara replied coldly. Sith, the woman was inquisitive but that could give her the right to ask questions in return.

"Why are you working for Talon Karrde when you could be dancing professionally?" Leia knew the question was a little forward but she'd not seen anyone as good as this woman in a long time and her reliable instincts were telling her that there was far more to Mara Jade than she led others to believe.

"Karrde pays good credits," Mara replied shortly squashing the urge to tell Organa to keep her mind on her own affairs. "The life is too hard as a professional dancer, the career is a short one and I have other skills than just my dancing to offer the galaxy." She narrowed her green eyes daring Leia to continue her queries. The Alderaanian woman hesitated and Mara could see her mind turning over.

'Like what?' Leia asked herself because she could sense the reserve and again, a feeling of antipathy from the woman. Mara Jade did not like her for some reason but was making an effort to be pleasant. It did not sit easily upon her. Usually Leia would ignore such things – she couldn't aim to please every being in the galaxy but she'd done nothing against this woman as far as she knew and something within her told her that it was important. Was it a Force prompting? Leia hated having to second-guess herself.

They paused outside the changing rooms and with a few more meaningless platitudes they parted to take care of the day's business.

The following day they again met just outside the studios and the day after that. It seemed that a set routine was part of the red-haired trader's, as well as the councillor's, day. On the third day that they accidentally encountered one another, Leia tentatively enquired if Mara would like to have a caf with her and they shared an awkward conversation about the Coruscant ballet company which Leia had seen many times as a child and which Mara had attended daily classes with the corps. Meanwhile, Mara was burning to ask the princess questions about her brother. For over a week they met every day and held a stilted conversation, each convinced that they had nothing in common, yet something making them persevere in this uneasy tryst.

"Could I ask you something?" Mara queried carefully. She had the information about Skywalker that the princess might want to hear but leading up to it wasn't easy. Up until now she had been shying away from divulging what she knew. Solo had asked Karrde not to let Organa know that he was still searching for Skywalker but Mara decided that the princess deserved to know what was going on. Up until now, Skywalker hadn't been mentioned in their little chats at all and Mara's patience was beginning to wear a bit thin. She sat and stared at Leia Organa, serene and beautiful in a flowing blue tunic, and had the urge to see that façade crack. Still she hesitated and then gave a small smile. She'd run out of patience. This _would_ be better with a bigger audience. She'd contacted Karrde and Solo earlier and asked them to meet her at the gym, planning to tell Solo what she had discovered. But maybe doing it this way might prove to be more interesting.

"Ask me something?" Leia shrugged. "Of course." What was the harm in that?

"Will you answer the question?"

"It depends," Leia said quietly, her forehead furrowing. "If it has security implications you will understand that I cannot."

Mara laughed. "You will probably find that Karrde has a better idea about your security than even you have."

"What! You must be jesting." Leia looked worried.

Mara's lips tilted into a smug smile. "I find Talon Karrde's sources of information second to none. He could even better the Bothan spy-net."

Leia frowned. Surely this couldn't be true? "You are joking…aren't you?"

"No. It's quite true. He has a network of informants across the galaxy - both legal and illegal. Don't underestimate Talon Karrde." Mara felt her com vibrate against the inside of her collar. Karrde was on his way. Now was as good a time as any to start finding out for sure. "What I would like to know is… What happened to Luke Skywalker? Can you tell me?"

"To…to Luke?"

"Yes. Don't tell me that it's a question you've never been asked before."

"It's…" Leia floundered. It was one of the subjects that the New Republic had made a deal with the holo-press to not report on so as to keep speculation to a minimum. But the public had taken Luke to their hearts and there had been a demand for information about his whereabouts which just wouldn't go away. The less respectable holo-rags did not care what lies they reported but Leia avoided these. The story that he'd gone on a mission and just hadn't come back yet was wearing thin. "I…I…don't normally discuss…"

"It's been said that he's on a mission in deep cover or even that he's dead. I even read in one Imperial Holo-rag that he never existed and that he was just another story the Rebellion had made up to make their side seem the most romantic. A farmboy from the Outer Rim blows up the most sophisticated instrument of technological warfare ever created with one shot. It was a fluke…" Mara leaned forward across the table, her green eyes intense. If ever there was a time to refresh her old interrogation skills, it was now. "If he did exist," she stated coolly, "then he's dead now. Why would he disappear when the Rebels had everything to gain?"

The Princess gasped, her face stricken. "No, he's not dead." She stood up abruptly leaving an almost full mug of caf. "He wasn't when I last saw him."

"And when was that?" Mara stood up, her actions mimicking Leia's. "Recently?"

"Why do you want to know?" The princess dragged her fraying composure back together again and began to back pedal.

"I'm interested," Mara said coolly. "No one has heard anything from him for over three years including, my sources tell me, even you. I like a good mystery and I wondered whether the man I bumped into on Druckenwell just last week was your brother."

"My what!" Leia went white and clutched at the table for support. "Druckenwell," she whispered. "Last week!"

"Your brother – Luke Skywalker. Oh for sith's sake, sit down before you fall down." Mara's smile was malicious. "Luke Skywalker is your brother. I have evidence from very reliable sources. The files I saw weren't telling lies. You can't fake your genetics or his. Why the big secret?"

"It's no-one's business but our own," Leia said shakily, trying to get herself under control. Her brother was well and alive; she knew it but it was a relief to hear it. "You really saw Luke? How do I know that you're not lying?"

Mara sneered, her lip curling. "Why would I lie? What would be the point of it?"

"Others have tried."

"I'm not…others." It was as if the last word had been coated liberally with venom. "Ah, good," she murmured. "Here's General Solo now." Mara sat down and crossed her arms, her whole pose one of total control. "Your brother?" she said again.

"It's not a secret," Leia said faintly.

"Isn't it, now?" Mara pursed her lips. "You could have fooled me. I can't recall it being mentioned in any conversations at all. But Skywalker is your _twin_ brother?"

"Yes," Leia muttered, furious now with herself as well as the woman she now saw was deriving great amusement from her discomfort. Luke was her brother and she was proud of that fact. Han was right - they should tell Mon Mothma and everyone else. In fact, they now had to.

"Oh, don't worry," Mara said. "I won't squeal to the holo-reporters or to your…er…colleagues on the council. We all have things in our past we do not want raked up. But if I can find out the information, so can the Bothans and think what they would do with that kind of leverage. You could be in all sorts of trouble. Suppose they don't believe you that Luke Skywalker just decided one day to jump into his little x-wing and fly away?"

At first Han didn't see Mara Jade – he just saw Leia. "What is it, sweetheart?" Leia was shaking – something had upset her. "Leia, what is it?"

"Oh, Han." She reached out and clasped his hand tightly.

Mara grinned. "General Solo, you asked my employer to undertake a task on your behalf but you did not give us the entire facts. Therefore I am altering the deal."

"What?" Han twisted his head to one side to find the redheaded woman he'd met in Karrde's office standing beside Leia.

"Mara," Karrde said warningly. Her green eyes were sparkling with malevolent humour. She was enjoying this in a twisted fashion.

"Last week on Druckenwell, I bumped into a hooded stranger or he bumped into me. I recognised him as one Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight and all round New Republic hero." Mara's voice was laced with sarcasm.

"What!" Han said again. "Describe him…Are you sure?"

Mara rolled her eyes. "He was this high…" She waved her hand about four inches above her head." Blue eyes, fair hair, wearing a lightsaber, called me by name even though we have never met," she recited insouciantly. "And rest assured, Karrde, I did not kill him."

"That eases my mind, Mara," Karrde said dryly, shaking his head. He believed her. If Mara said that she hadn't killed the Jedi, then she hadn't.

"Kill him?" said Han in alarm.

"I had the opportunity and I have the motive. He ruined my life."

Leia looked carefully at the woman opposite; there was desperation and pain in her green eyes. "You don't really want to kill him."

Mara clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging painfully into the soft fleshy part of her palm. "I do. I failed once before and I will not do so again."

"Is he still on Druckenwell?" Han asked, already guessing what Mara's reply would be.

Mara shook her head. "No, I don't think so. It's not the kind of place for a Jedi to stay for long. There is no peace there."

"You seem to know an awful lot about the Jedi," Leia commented shrewdly.

"For a trader?" Mara said bitterly. "Perhaps I'm just interested and I wanted to do a little research into the matter."

"To the point beyond obsession. But he's alive?" Han persisted.

Mara grinned sourly. "He was when I left. He just…vanished into crowds milling about on a busy walkway. Typical Jedi cloaking technique."

Leia's dark eyes narrowed and she searched through the Force in the way Luke had tried to teach her. "You haven't always been a trader…have you? Do you have the Force, Mara?"

"Can you recognise it in others?" she countered. "I felt it in you the moment we met. My skills are poor, I am untrained but, yes, I too am cursed with that ability."

"You see it as a curse?"

"No…but it hasn't done me any favours." It would remain to be seen if Luke Skywalker's messing around inside her head made any difference. One thing was certain; she could feel the Force more clearly than she'd ever done before.

"Maybe it just might have kept you alive," Han chipped in.

Leia closed her eyes for a moment asking for guidance. Mara would not trust her with the whole truth but she knew enough. She opened her eyes and tilted her chin challengingly at the redhead. "You cannot kill my brother, Mara Jade. Not if you need him to train you."

"Train me!" Mara sneered. "Train me as what?"

"As a Jedi."


	14. Chapter 14

**Out of the Shadows 14**

****

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title.

**Dagobah**

Yoda stretched his tired and aching frame and, as he did first thing every morning, reached out for the bright reassuring presence of his apprentice. He'd once said that the boy had no patience; he could not say that now. He'd also said that Luke was too old to begin the training, that there was too much anger in him but he couldn't say that now either. The boy had long surpassed all of his expectations, overcoming many of the obstacles with a success that Yoda had once thought Luke could never achieve. Luke was everything a Jedi Knight should be but had managed to retain a little of his own youthful spirit and, despite everything, some of his naive idealism still remained as well as his faith in the innate goodness of others. Yoda decided that it was more than he and Obi-Wan deserved. They hadn't been fair to Luke and had judged him on his father's character. They'd been wrong.

For generations the Jedi had trained children from infancy, often taking them away from their families as babies, so that they'd never known another life – would never know the dependency of being a child for its parents, the love of a mother and a father. It had always been a considered risk to take on those that were too old. Perhaps Palpatine might never had succeeded had they a few more Luke Skywalkers amongst the ranks of the Jedi.

In Luke they'd had no choice. He'd been their only hope – the only Jedi child left alive with the strength to combat both Vader and Palpatine. He had not let them down. Yes, Leia Skywalker had also lived but her destiny lay along another path. She hadn't had the necessary skills needed to combat the Sith.

Yoda had, over the past few years, wondered if the Jedi had been mistaken for all those hundreds of years in many of their training methods. They'd been justifiably concerned with the high failure rate of older younglings arriving at the Jedi temple for training. Perhaps they'd been more susceptible to the dark side because there had been the doubt of the masters who were too quick to question. If there was an expectation that the student might fail, it was all the more easily done. Perhaps the masters lacked the confidence in their own ability to train those, who by experiencing more of life and its many temptations, would question their methods more thoroughly. Perhaps the council had been weakened by its own ignorance. It became its own self-fulfilling prophecy. They had tried; they had not _done_.

Luke had passed every test the old Jedi had set for him. Even when he'd at first appeared to fail, the boy had come out of the experience as a survivor, the shadows visible in his clear blue eyes. Yes, he'd been burned or a little scarred but always wiser, heavier with the burdens the slim shoulders had accepted as his lot to bear. Part of Yoda lamented the loss of Luke's innocence but he knew that experience and pain were the only way that the boy was going to acquire the depth and maturity he needed to fulfil his destiny.

His resemblance to his father had been so strong that on many occasions Yoda had to remind himself that it wasn't Anakin with all his faults that stood before him. Luke had his father's strength in the Force but this had been tempered with his mother's gentleness and determination to see that things were done correctly and the desire to make the galaxy a better, safer place.

"Proud of him you would be, Padme Amidala," Yoda said to the mud walls of his empty hut. "But with him you should be." He gave a sigh and shook his head slowly. "Not strong enough to take the pain of Anakin's turn were you. Helped you more we should have. Knew Anakin's weakness we did and ignored it at the cost of our lives. Sorry I am." He hobbled carefully to the door of his hut and pushed it open. Luke always started the day working with his lightsaber in the clearing outside his makeshift dwelling. A good choice this was. The lightsaber was a discipline for the mind as well as the body and the young Jedi had become as accomplished a swordsman as any knight who had lived during the heyday of the Old Republic. An electronic warble reached his ears. Artoo Detoo would be with his young master controlling the firing of the remotes.

Yoda wondered if he had done the right thing in letting the boy come through so much on his own. Should he have insisted on training the princess also? The path of the Jedi had never been a solitary one but Luke had always walked alone. He had kept to the light even though the shade had often beckoned him into its murky depths.

Luke had willingly returned to Dagobah away from his sister and friends to experience what life might have been like for a Jedi initiate during the order's height, and to take on the final phase of his training. But it could never be what it once was as he was alone. His initial reason had been to prevent more deaths like Dev Sibwarra's on Bakura but, in fact, Luke had returned not just to learn the ways of the Jedi but how to lead them. This was a very different scenario from anything Luke had envisaged.

For the first time, Luke, was truly beginning to believe that he could do what was required. Yoda, however, wished for others to help him in his task. Luke would have to teach and eventually lead these others. The Force had already allowed Yoda to live longer than he had expected and he knew that it was so that he could finish training Luke for this great responsibility he had to undertake.

Yoda took another couple of steps enjoying the familiar humming sound of the lightsaber as it moved through the air. It was like music to him – but it was a solo, the single voice in the darkness. His apprentice would, one day, turn that solo into an entire chorus - the candle's flame into a roaring fire.

"Good morning, Master Yoda," Luke called, calmly parrying a couple more shots. "I wouldn't go as far as saying that it's a lovely day but it's not raining this morning." The buzzing of the green blade ceased as he shut the saber down.

Yoda stared up at the grey sky, its thick grey clouds obscuring the tops of the gnarl trees around them. "Not yet."

"Is it the Force that tells you this?" Luke queried, swivelling around to face his master, a warm smile on his lips.

"No, my eyes and my old bones use I do. Just as reliable they are when telling the weather." The little green Jedi scrutinised Luke's stance. "Form One," he stated with certainty.

"I'm revising all my saber exercises," Luke said. "If I'm to teach saber work, I need to have everything clear in my head and be proficient in all styles. So yes, I started at the beginning." He re-ignited his saber and let his relationship with the Force intensify. Once upon a time he'd found the instantaneous connection difficult. But now…it wasn't difficult at all. The Force flowed through him – he was part of it and couldn't imagine ever functioning without it.

"Seven forms of lightsaber combat there are. All have different qualities." Yoda moved towards a small, flat boulder and carefully placed himself upon it. He could appreciate the way that Luke moved between positions and Yoda could see the line of Jedi stretching back through Obi-Wan to Qui-Gon Jinn and beyond. "Why must form one practised be?"

Luke grinned as he executed a series of basic duelling moves. "Because this is the foundation that all other styles are built upon. A Jedi's technique depends upon this. Miss out on this part and there will always be basic flaws. This is where the strength and accuracy comes from."

"Correct. Form two?"

Luke immediately pivoted and executed several neat, rapid slashes with the green humming blade. "I'm not so good at this method," he muttered, with a slightly wilder slash at one of the bolts that Artoo's remote had started to fire rapidly in his direction. "But I can envisage how it could build up speed and dexterity. It is extremely precise. A good discipline and one I need more time to perfect."

"Fell out of favour this style did," admitted Yoda. "A form of art this was considered to be. Many healers and diplomats this style favoured. Less effective in battle and not used much since the Clone Wars. Count Dooku – an able Jedi till the dark side he discovered – was much admired for his skill in this form." Yoda assessed Luke's movements. "Right you are, young one. Not so good in this are you. But worse I have seen. Improved you have. More flexible wrist action need you. Alter the angle of your fingers. "

"Like this?" Luke asked as he adjusted his grip on the hilt of his saber and attempted a couple of practise jabs. "That certainly makes it easier," he admitted.

"Good…" Yoda nodded and turned his head towards Artoo and winked. The droid gave a little gurgle and changed the direction of his firepower.

"Ow! Artoo!" Luke complained, as one of the droids shots sneaked through his guard. The little astromech gave a merry peal of electronic laughter. "Lucky," he muttered under his breath, but didn't look in the direction of his master as he rubbed his behind.

Yoda smiled, refraining from voicing the favourite Jedi maxim that there was no such thing as luck. "Form three?"

"Form three was defensive," Luke answered and then gave a resigned sigh as two more remotes floated up towards him from the aged Jedi's hands. "Not fair," he complained, but there was no heat to his words as his grin widened.

"The Jedi, guardians of peace and justice they were. Not every being wants such things. Attack they do, learn to defend the Jedi must. The Force is used to protect and defend, never to attack. Fair does not always enter into an opponent's mind." He lifted a finger and all four remotes began firing at Luke simultaneously.

"Stang!" muttered Luke. He immediately pivoted and began chopping his green blade, blocking the shots with ease. "I'm quite familiar with the defensive shot. My amazing galaxy-wide popularity meant that this happened to me often – way too often."

"Personal you should not take this."

"I know. But some of them have never even met me. How do they know that they don't like me? I'm really a nice guy." He dropped to one knee and parried another couple of shots sending one of them into the bark of the nearest tree with a solid thud.

Yoda called off the remotes. "This progresses into form V which already you use regularly. More acrobatic, more aggressive than form III this is. We look at these other styles tomorrow."

"Yeah! My research into Form IV told me that it really takes the initiative which the Jedi are not supposed to do."

"It is a dangerous style to adopt. Proficient in this style your father was. Tomorrow we deal with these and the others."

Luke shut down his saber and attached it to his belt. He walked across to where Artoo extended his grasping arm which held Luke's water container. "Thanks, little fella," he said, giving the round little head an affectionate pat. "Could you run diagnostics with the X-wing for me this morning?"

Artoo beeped an affirmative and began to make his way slowly to where Luke's ship sat. The young Jedi stood watching him for a moment, the water bottle clutched in his hand, his mind wandering. He lifted the bottle to his lips and drank thirstily.

Yoda watched his apprentice sensing Luke's mind move far away from what he had been doing. "Thoughts you have…memories?"

"I used form one on Bespin backed up by form three. On the second Death Star I was far more aggressive. I had to be and it was form V that I used, now that I think about it. I never over-analyse my fights. I suppose I'm too glad to get out of them alive."

"Saw it I did. Aggressive you were, fought for your life and the future of the Jedi. Turn you did not."

"No, I did not turn."

"But with you every day the dark side is."

"I can feel its power but I will not give in to it."

"That I know."

"It's almost a comfort to know where my boundaries are, to feel the edge of the dark side and know what I must never do."

"Be mindful still, Luke. Ever cautious."

The young Jedi nodded. "I will." He brushed a strand of hair from his eyes. I meant to get this cut on Druckenwell…"

"But other things on your mind you had. Next time."

"Yes, Master." He checked his wrist chrono. "It's time for my training run." Luke indicated the harness that Yoda had once used to travel on his back. "I found this. It was in my X-wing's storage compartment. Do you want to come? It would be just like old times."

Yoda's eyes widened and then he gave an exasperated shake of his head. "Think I'm a youngling of eight hundred and fifty do you? Time to meditate for me this is."

"I think you're making excuses, Master. Once…"

"Unbecoming in a Jedi this sense of humour is."

Luke grinned. "I disagree. Laughter is a powerful tool. There was too little of it around when the Emperor was still alive."

"True." Yoda chuckled. "You are learning young one."

Luke shook his head. He retreated to his makeshift home and emerged minus his shirt. The sky was overcast but the atmosphere was hot and heavy. The garment would only need washing afterwards as he appeared to have a fatal attraction to grime. Yoda watched with an inscrutable expression on his wrinkled face as Luke disappeared from view.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

**Kaellin III**

Night fell quickly and with a blackness that only seemed to happen in the Outer Rim territories. Kaellin III, a small, quiet, backwater planet in the Malenstorr system, was definitely not a central part of galactic politics. The population would be surprised to hear that anyone in the Core region even knew of its meagre existence. Even the nightlife seemed to go about their business in relative silence.

Well, not quite total silence. Two figures hurried up the hill in the dark, threading their way through a veritable village of small white square boxes which sufficed as a makeshift camp, their audible puffing and panting giving a hint to their anxiety.

"I don't know how this could have happened, Doctor Malik," the taller of the two men, the dig's Chief of Security, Eryyk Byb, wheezed.

"Neither do I. I could perhaps have understood if they'd taken things of value – the gold statues that were found yesterday were still right where we'd found them."

Byb began to jog slowly. "Jetang…was completely…overpowered," he panted.

Malik paused, still breathing heavily, as he considered his companion's words thoughtfully. "No, he wasn't 'overpowered'. The stun blast took him completely by surprise but there's not a mark upon him – he wasn't touched. The problem is, he doesn't know how long he's been out for. It could have happened several hours ago which means that the thief could be well away or we might have just missed the attack by minutes. Doctor Rule isn't going to be happy about this."

"She's very…"

"Intimidating? Was that the word you were looking for, Byb?"

"Yes." He paused again, trying to catch his breath. He wasn't as fit as he used to be and he missed the accompanying stormtrooper squadrons that had once accompanied all the digs Doctor Rule and her colleagues once took. "Which one…" He gestured at the rows of identical square shapes in front of them.

"She's one of the foremost xenoarcheologists in the entire galaxy. She's not got to that position easily." Malik pointed to a hut set slightly apart from all the others further up the hill. "She has the largest of the temporary structures while on planet."

"Doctor…Doctor Rule," Byb shouted as he ran towards her hut.

Malik took a deep breath and knocked loudly on the door of the makeshift accommodation allotted to the head of the archaeological team while they were on Kaellin III.

"Doctor…"

"I heard you, Professor Malik." The cultured voice was low and tired. "I'm just coming." The door slid back revealing a slender, attractive woman in her mid forties, her face still fogged with sleep. She tugged a thick dark robe around her body. "What is it?"

Her assistant rubbed his eyes wearily before looking up at her. "There's been some sort of incident at the site. Some of the finds we unearthed this morning have disappeared."

"Disappeared!" her voice shot up sharply and the drowsiness vanished from her expression. "The gold statue of the goddess…"

"No, all the treasure was left untouched…"

"Then…" Her expression changed. "Not the Jedi finds?" she said sharply.

Malik's face told her the answer. The container holding various items possibly of Jedi origin had been removed. "We do not know if they are Jedi…" he said lamely. "We suspect they're Jedi but it's not been proven and..."

"Of course they are," Folla Rule uttered brusquely cutting him off. "There's no doubt in my mind. It's what I was trained to do under the Empire - look for Jedi artefacts - and now I do the same job for the New Republic. It makes no difference to me who is charge – I do not have a political agenda. I work to preserve and find treasures of the past. I just wish whoever was in power would look after their antiquities better. I have been researching the Jedi for many, many years. Such an interest was normally punishable by death. I was lucky to have been given the freedom I had. Come in." She turned her back on them and marched back into her quarters switching on the small desk luma in the corner of the room. She trained her gimlet-like gaze on the nervous looking Byb hovering just inside the door. "What has security got to say about all of this?"

Professor Malik's companion's face paled. "Our man was felled by a stun blast – out cold for hours we think. He's an experienced guard. He didn't see or hear anyone."

"Nothing at all?"

The security chief shrugged. "He didn't hear or see anyone," he repeated.

"Excuse me while I change." Doctor Rule disappeared into the back room of the temporary shelter and emerged minutes later, fully dressed, her hair tightly braided into one long dark rope falling down her back and with two blaster pistols in low-slung draw holsters hung against her slim hips. She was armed and could use them quite effectively. No one else was removing anything without her say so. "I want to get down to the site and see what damage has been done."

Byb tried to make amends. "The speeder is ready to go."

The ride back to the site didn't take long. Immediately, Doctor Folla Rule leapt from the vehicle and charged into the small temple. Five minutes later she walked back outside and scanned the surrounding area as if the perpetrators of the crime would suddenly appear from under the scrubby brush that grew near the temple. "They've taken the scrolls, the data rods and the lightsaber. I could have traced the owner of that weapon." She slumped onto the dusty ground, her dark eyes listless.

"Doctor Rule…Folla?" Malik bent over her in concern. He hadn't seen a lightsaber. It hadn't been in the wooden box with the rest of the stuff. "I did not see…"

"This wasn't a well-known operation. Only the University and certain members of the Senate Council knew what we were searching for. We couldn't risk pirates and treasure hunters finding out about our assignments. Hopefully the powers that be won't cut our funding after this. I can't afford to lose any more decent assistants."

"We were looking for the Jedi items?" Malik was stunned, wondering if he'd just heard a threat in his boss's voice. He'd been overjoyed when the gold statue of the goddess Aleema had been found. He'd assumed that this was the type of article they were hunting for.

"We were not originally searching for Jedi artefacts but considering that this was once an outpost for the members of this vanished order…" She drew a booted foot back and forth across a patch of soil. "On the other hand, the statue is a bonus and if nothing more is said about the rest..." Her lips firmed into a thin line. "The public will pay good credits and queue to see it when it goes on display in the museum."

Malik sighed. He was second-in-charge of this operation and he hadn't been told about this. These things were integral to their work and he had not been informed. A slow anger began to burn inside but he was a professional and his job was to assist the doctor. Something teased his memory and he thought it could be important. "A box of Jedi artefacts was recently stolen from a library on Praesitlyn."

"Speculation," Folla snapped. "I never saw the contents."

"I'd heard that Princess Leia Organa saw some of the items over the holonet – including lightsabers."

"Princess Leia Organa of the Royal House of Alderaan is very interested in the Jedi for some reason." Folla's voice was hard. "I wonder why?"

"Probably because of her friendship with Commander Skywalker."

"_Commander Skywalker!_ Hah!" she said disgustedly.

"They served together in the Rebellion," Malik said. "And he's a Jedi – the only one as far as we know."

"Not proven. Until I meet him face to face and he waves his lightsaber at me or performs one of their magic tricks I am unconvinced. When I see him do that, then I might believe that he's real. 'A half-trained boy – my sources tell me that's all he is. I've studied the Jedi and the artefacts they've left behind. 'Left' being the operative word. The Jedi are a dead civilisation and I've seen little evidence of a return to life."

"When he returns from his current mission…"

"Current mission?" She shook her head. "There's been no sight or sound of the man for about three years. He's not been to visit me at the University and ask about my research into ancient artefacts. To me that's somewhat odd. I am the expert in such things." She wasn't boasting; she was just stating a fact. "In fact, I don't think he's set foot on Coruscant at all."

Malik shifted uneasily. "We need to contact Coruscant, Doctor Rule."

"Why?"

"We need official investigators out here if things are missing from the site and I have to report to the University funding committee."

Folla's dark eyes narrowed coldly. "I hadn't pegged you as a spy for the establishment, Malik."

The little rotund man stopped his agitated fussing and looked at the woman strangely. "That's a peculiar thing for you to say, Doctor. You are employed by the university as am I. Although I enjoy what I do, I am dependent on the governors for my salary. You are the head of this excavation and I am honoured to be learning so much from such an acknowledged expert. But our main artefact of value is the gold statue – suppose they grabbed the wrong object by mistake. We must get it back to the university and safekeeping for a proper examination."

"Of course." She pulled a small, beeping data pad from one of her pockets and checked the information written on the screen. "I have to return to the Core immediately in any case. There has been a new discovery on Coruscant itself."

Malik had worked with Doctor Folla Rule for just over three years and he was one of the first to admit that he did not understand her at all. She was a brilliant academic but difficult to work for and he did not understand this sudden obsession with the Jedi. He couldn't recall her ever being this fanatical about the subject before.

She looked at him, the expression on her face one of amusement. "You are wondering about my attitude," she stated calmly. "I have no love for the Jedi, nor do I dislike them. They are simply a vanished race of beings that I have been allowed to study. Originally I was granted the right to study them by Emperor Palpatine himself because their corrupt behaviour had endangered the galaxy and now – I merely study them. They allowed a vast organisation to just disappear and that takes some doing. A real live specimen would be interesting; however, I do not think that they exist any more apart from Jedi Skywalker and that's hardly encouraging." She stalked back into the temple and stared at the remaining items. "I do object to my research materials being interfered with."

A grey dawn was beginning to streak the sky and the Doctor tiredly checked her wrist chrono. "I'll have to leave very shortly, Malik. I have a meeting with someone in the government about an area the council would like the university to study. I need, however, to make them refrain from any building work in a certain sector for the foreseeable future. They are not going to like that." She frowned and then turned her attention to a tall man with a serious face and prematurely greying hair who entered the small temple bowing his head respectfully to whatever deity had once been worshipped there.

"Ah…Kam. Could you wake the workers?"

"Yes, Doctor," he murmured quietly.

"I need to talk to them before I leave for Coruscant. You haven't noticed any strangers around this area in the last few days, have you?" she asked.

"No, Doctor."

She stared at him as if she was trying to test his truthfulness without telling him the reason why. He was merely an employee but had proved to be quiet and hardworking. "They need to be extra vigilant. We are dealing with rare and precious things."

"Of course, Doctor." He withdrew quietly.

She stared after him for a moment. Kam wasn't a trained scholar but had been found to have a natural affinity for working in this field. This was the first excursion he had accompanied them on and she would recommend that he be used again. "Malik, go ahead - contact the university and the security services," she ordered. "You're itching to do so. In any case, I do want a team sent out here to investigate."

"I have drafted out a request to the Prime Minister. We will see that the spaceports are monitored although I fear we are already too late."

She moved back to the speeder. "Kam, take me back to the camp and then to the spaceport."

"Of course, Doctor Rule."

"And Malik…Pack the gold statue for transportation. I'll take it with me just in case the thief comes back."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The tall, serious-faced man whom Folla Rule had ordered to chauffeur her to the spaceport let out a sigh as he returned the speeder to the camp. With an unhurried stride he moved towards the tiny hut he'd been given as his quarters. Since the dark times in his life had ended he had moved around the galaxy frequently, never staying for very long in any one place, picking up work where he could. His lips tightened into a flat line. He'd learned to fit in with the beings around him; not to do so would have meant his death. He owed too much to far too many beings to just give up and die. He had a mission again and it felt good.

The security officer, Byb, shuffled forward. "We need to search your belongings," he muttered apologetically.

"Of course," Kam said calmly and pointed to the meagre pile of possessions – all his possessions in fact – contained in two shabby bags. "I have nothing to hide," he said waving his hand in a circular motion.

Byb's eyes took on a glazed expression. "You have nothing to hide."

"Everything is fine?" Kam asked, his grey eyes intent.

"Everything is fine," the security guard repeated.

"Thank you."

"No problem." Byb moved from Kam's quarters and headed towards the next one, not realising that he hadn't even touched Kam's things, let alone searched them.

Kam's mouth took on a bitter twist. He hadn't known exactly what was being searched for by the team of archaeologists when he'd taken a job as a labourer but he soon guessed what they were after once the first set of scrolls had been unearthed. Folla Rule's eyes had gleamed with covetousness but not at the golden statue of the Goddess Aleema. He had known that this place had been used by the Jedi at one time. That was one of the reasons he had come to this world.

He had once been a Jedi as had his father before him. But that was before the dark times, before the Empire.

Doctor Folla Rule was a brilliant woman but she did not - could not - understand the ways of his kind. These things did not belong in a museum – they needed to be used and understood by those with the power of the Force. And then, they'd broken into a lower chamber where the gold statue had been found. Kam had seen the lightsaber resting in a niche, hidden behind a boulder. He had returned last night and had removed it before its hiding place had been discovered. He was sure that none of the academics had noted its presence and something told him he had to remove it immediately. It was a feeling he both knew and trusted.

He'd been right. A matter of a mere few hours later someone had stolen everything else of Jedi origin that they had uncovered in the temple.

He reached into his bag and pulled away a couple of faded tunics to reveal the silver cylinder. He didn't dare ignite it to see if it still worked. It was too dangerous. These people had no business here. They were messing with things that they didn't understand.

The lightsaber was his by right. He'd almost given away its location because as soon as he'd seen it he'd recognised it. How could that particular saber have come to be in this place? It had belonged to his father. He'd seen it often enough hanging from his father's belt and had used it himself as his father had trained him in the art of wielding the symbol of the Jedi. But his father's last movements in the dying days of the Old Republic had been unknown to him. He'd almost convinced himself that he was mistaken but as soon as his calloused fingers had closed over the hilt he had felt the calming presence of his father for the first time in many years.

Once, he had hoped to follow in his father's footsteps but, lonely and bitter at the fate of the galaxy under Emperor Palpatine; Kam Solusar had descended into a dark haze. The dark side had claimed him for its own.

The news of the Emperor's death had lifted him from his troubles, yet he still felt restless, rootless and tired. The lines on his face deepened as he brooded over what the fate of the Jedi was to be. Who would lead them? He certainly could not and the news of a Force-strong boy with limited training did not instil him with lasting confidence. He'd given up the darkness but had been unable to find the light. He ran his fingers across the lightsaber casing, smoothing over the familiar instrument as if he'd never been parted from it or its original wielder.

He'd had to steal the saber but hadn't touched the other items. He, too, had heard of the disappearance of the items on Praesitlyn. Why would someone want to find Jedi artefacts apart from other Jedi? There were several reasons, both light and dark. Kam hoped it was the former though he couldn't shake off the sensation of darkness around him. But then he'd had many years to get used to the cold seductive power of darkness. He could still be tainted by the darkness himself. His father had often chanted the mantra to him. _"Once you start along the path to the dark side it will forever dominate your destiny." _Kam curled up on his bedroll and pulled one of his blankets across his thin shoulders. It was true – every single word. He would check again in the morning but he was sure that they had discovered everything of importance by now. He now had to head for Coruscant also. Whatever Doctor Rule wanted to see, Kam decided that he needed to see. It would just take him longer than he liked to get there. This job had paid but not well enough to travel direct and living in the Core was expensive.

He also had to find more information on the New Republic's sole Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker. After the death of Palpatine the young man had gone on one more mission for the Rebel Alliance and directly after that, he had disappeared. He had to find the whereabouts of the young man. His life could be in danger but the peculiar thing was that no one in the New Republic seemed to be unduly concerned. Perhaps they knew where he was. Kam Solusar, with the discovery of his father's lightsaber, knew what he wanted out of his life more than anything else. He wanted to be a Jedi Knight again and if Skywalker couldn't help him, he would do it on his own.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

**Coruscant**

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Han said softly, as he helped Leia into their waiting speeder.

"Sorry?" she queried, confused.

"I'm sorry that I ran out of patience and I went and hired Karrde to search for Luke."

"Why?"

He turned his head away from her and stared blankly at the lanes of traffic. "I knew you didn't really want me to disturb the Kid from whatever he's studying but I was so sick of not knowing what had happened to him and why he had left us. At first it was kinda easy. The Kid was just away on another mission and we would see him in a couple of weeks but the time grew longer and longer and he still wasn't coming home. We're his family and he should be with us." He glanced quickly at her and then away again, his face tinged with red, his air one of embarrassment. "I…" He hesitated, not sure whether or not to continue.

"Go on," Leia whispered.

"Aw…hell, princess," he muttered. "You know I'm not too good at all the mushy stuff."

"What kind of 'mushy' stuff?"

"The 'will you love me forever the way I love you and marry me' mushy stuff." The last four words were ejected rapidly from Han's mouth as he began to gabble. "If you're not ready…I can wait…"

"What!" Leia knew that Han loved her but she hadn't expected a proposal.

"You heard me."

"I heard a stream of words running faster than a hyperdrive engine."

"But you heard them."

"Yes."

"I meant them." Han's face held no amusement. "I'll wait forever if I have to."

"You're serious!" she exclaimed awed.

"Yes." Han started the engine and eased the speeder into one of the busy traffic lanes. For a few minutes there was silence between them. "Surely you knew that. Where you, I and our relationship are concerned, I'm always serious."

"But marriage…"

"Is right for us." Han concentrated on his flying, easily moving amongst countless other small craft. "I'm fed up reading about all the Dukes and Princes you're about to marry. I want to read holos screaming all over the galaxy about Leia Organa marrying a former Corellian smuggler. I love you and want you to be with me. I want to come home to you every time. You're the reason I'm here, Leia."

"I want that too but…"

"But nothing!" he said through gritted teeth. "We've spent enough time apart. Luke would agree with me."

"But…" Leia wondered at her sudden inability to form a coherent sentence.

"He's been away from us long enough, sweetheart. I want him back so that I can ask his approval for your hand in marriage. I want to do it properly as befits the last Princess of Alderaan."

"His permission?"

"No, his approval."

"What if he didn't give it?" Leia asked curiously.

Han gave a burst of mocking laughter. "Then we let Jade kill him."

Leia removed all traces of amusement from her expression. "It's worth considering," she said thoughtfully. "Would she do it?"

"What!" Han's mouth dropped open as his eyes darted to Leia's face and then away again, back to his piloting.

"It's a joke but we could keep the threat hanging over his head."

"That's what I thought," Han said virtuously. "Never hurts to have a back up plan."

"_Now_ you start thinking of one of those - after how many years?"

"Must be six or seven by now," he said thoughtfully.

Leia moved and gently pressed herself against him. "However, you must remember that he is my brother and I'm very fond of him."

"Then we get her to maim him slightly. He's used to that. He's one of the reasons bacta is still in short supply." He eased the speeder and docked at the landing stage of an impressive skyhook. He turned and leered at her, his manner suggestive. "I want you in all the right ways and the wrong ones, sweetheart."

"Nerf."

"Listen, Leia…" he said urgently, the joking manner fading away.

Leia's mouth curved into a warm, slightly tremulous smile. "I'm listening, hotshot."

"He's your brother and my best friend, apart from Chewie, and I want him there at our wedding…if you'll have me."

Leia opened her mouth to answer but Han shook his head and pressed a finger to her lips. "No, listen until you've heard everything I have to say. I want to know that we're together, that I have the right to be by your side. I don't want to hear about you marrying the eligible bachelor of the week in a bid to bail out any financial problems the New Republic may have."

"The New Republic is fine – well, they don't need me marrying the Duke to bail them out," Leia interrupted him, her eyes shining with love.

"And hell, Leia," he swore. "I never meant to propose in a borrowed speeder in the middle of the Coruscant airborne traffic system during rush hour but I couldn't wait any longer." There was an awkward silence. "Well?" he demanded.

"You told me not to say anything," Leia reminded him archly.

"Until I'd finished."

"You finished now?"

"Of course I'm finished," he growled.

Leia was about to tease him some more until she took in the way his hands were gripping the speeder's controls. Only Han could ask her to marry him in one of the busiest speeder lanes on the planet. She wouldn't have it any other way and Han was the only man she would ever say yes to. She loved him and that was worth far more to her than a fortune of billions of credits.

She leaned against him, uncaring that they were sitting in a speeder while Coruscant's life buzzed around them. "Yes, I'll marry you, you old scoundrel."

**_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_**


	15. Chapter 15

**Out of the Shadows 15**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title.

**Coruscant**

Han kissed Leia, his lips lingering softly upon hers, the repulsorlift jets lightly rocking their speeder adding to the sweetness of the moment. He sighed and drew away from her saying gently, "As usual, I think we've got company, sweetheart."

"I guess we do." Leia carefully climbed from the speeder and glanced towards the direction Han was indicating. Two of Mon Mothma's personal security guards walked towards them. Their air was relaxed but Han and Leia were certain that their hands wouldn't be far from their weapons at all times even though Han's speeder was cleared to fly in the restricted zone. "We can be alone later."

"That's for certain, sweetheart, and it's a thought I'll keep with me."

Han's voice lowered seductively and Leia felt a delicious shiver run through her body. She tilted her chin into the familiar defiant angle that had led her through the Rebellion. "Let's get this over with. I may as well tell her now."

"_We'll_ tell her now," he said finding her hand and squeezing it reassuringly. "I'm your back-up, remember? We're in this together. The news you have to tell is good news. Remember that, too."

The look she sent to him was a grateful one. "Han, I over-reacted with Karrde and Mara, didn't I?"

"It's understandable, sweetheart. A secret this big can't be easy to spill, even if you're the one that's decided to do the telling. But yes, I did think you were being somewhat dramatic over the whole issue. It's not really your style."

Leia's smile was wry. "I do pick my moments."

"I think it is the right time to say something. Karrde and Jade only know about you and Luke right now. They've no idea about the…other."

"Thank the Force," Leia muttered and then shook her head, laughing softly.

Han grinned. "Let the more pressing information out now and the…other might not seem so bad later on."

"Unlikely, but you never know."

"It won't be so bad being able to admit that you and the Kid are related. I envy you. I would love to have a brother."

"You do…" Leia looked up at him, her brown eyes holding a message. "You have Luke."

Han's heart flipped inside his chest at her words. She was right. The Kid was as close as a brother to him and he wasn't ashamed to admit it. "I do, don't I? Never could get rid of him after I picked him up in Mos Eisley."

"You also have Chewie."

"Yeah, but the family resemblance isn't quite so strong. For a start, he's a lot taller than both you and Luke. Plus, he's got considerably more hair than the Kid has. Actually, he's got more hair than the rest of us put together." He winked at her. "Come on." Han smiled at the guards. "Hey! Guys."

"General Solo…Princess Leia."

"We're just hoping to catch the President before she leaves for the evening Senate session."

"Of course. Follow us."

"Thanks, Jerroth." Han remembered the guard's name and was rewarded with a smile. It was a pity he couldn't remember the other one. He was still trying to do just that when he and Leia were ushered into Mon Mothma's private quarters.

"Mon Mothma will see you in a moment," her secretary said with a welcoming smile. "She's just freshening up before she leaves for the Senate. However, she only has an hour at most."

"We won't take long," Leia said quietly.

"Please have a seat," the woman said before withdrawing from the room, leaving them alone.

"Thank you." Leia sat down on a comfortable-looking nerf-hide divan. "Han, the _Vader thing_ will come out eventually."

"Yes, it will but you can decide when that happens. You could tell Mon Mothma now but..."

"About Vader?"

"If you feel ready…" Han could see Leia shaking her head, her whole attitude one of negativity. "If not…just tell her about Luke. Vader can wait but you being a Skywalker cannot. I don't think Jade and Karrde will say anything yet but it would be better if that part of the family secret was revealed. The Kid would be happy about it too."

"Yes." Leia could see Luke's contented face in her mind's eye. It _would_ please him. "For the moment I would rather leave it that way," she said slowly. "I think when I mention our parentage I would rather my brother was with me."

"He will be and soon," Han reassured her. "Karrde will find him."

"I'm not so sure. I have an idea where he might be but I don't know exactly where it is. I believe that Mara Jade will be the one to find Luke. I almost didn't believe her when she said that she'd seen him but how I wanted to."

"Neither did I but I don't think lying is her style."

"No, I think evading the truth might be more Mara Jade. She's a strange one. Why did _she_ see him and not you or me?"

"Because we wouldn't let him go, perhaps?"

"Perhaps." Leia sat up and turned her attention to Mon Mothma's study.

It was that Force stuff again, Han decided, as the door Leia's attention was focused upon, slid open and Mon Mothma glided forward, her pale cream simple robe brushing lightly across the blue carpet.

"Madam President," Leia said formally and then stopped unable to continue.

"Han…Leia…" She searched their faces, noting the seriousness of their expressions. "A problem?"

Leia shook her head. "Not in the usual sense but you need to know this."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Karrde marched into his office, his back stiff with anger. His second-in-command had overstepped the boundaries he'd given her and it wasn't really her fault. Normally such an infraction might have found him terminating her employment, if he hadn't considered part of the mistake to be his. He had trusted her to do something that went against her entire upbringing. She'd been taught to hate Luke Skywalker ever since she'd first heard his name and did so with a passion Karrde hadn't seen in Mara before. It was the first time her clinical detachment for the general vagaries of life had disintegrated, leaving behind a confused young woman. That didn't make her less dangerous; in fact, it made her more so. She still came with a very powerful blaster, several vibroshivs hidden about her person and, when pushed, a couple of thermal detonators.

He'd been unfair. He'd wanted her to show her loyalty by undertaking a task he knew she'd fail. "Sit down, Mara." Yes, he was angry but part of that anger had to be aimed in his own direction. Still, he had to make her see that she was wrong. Karrde had spent most of the Rebellion keeping out of the way of both camps but secretly sympathising with the Rebels rather than the Empire. He felt so hypocritical.

The red haired woman stayed standing. "I'm sorry, Karrde – really sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Mara." He knew she was sorry but a spark of defiance still lingered in her green eyes. "There are many things in this life that we would all like to do but cannot. While you are in my employ, Luke Skywalker stays alive."

"Why?" she demanded. "You know how I feel about him. I have my reasons. What are yours?"

"I don't know why. I guess I think the galaxy needs someone like him – someone neutral."

"Skywalker is hardly neutral," Mara scoffed. "He fought against the Empire."

"Yes, but Solo and Leia told me that he left the Alliance to learn more about the Jedi – to distance himself from the new government."

"Run by his sister and her friends?" Mara was obdurate.

Karrde clenched his fists. He wasn't getting very far. Mara was adept at turning a conversation the way she wanted it to go. "You were specifically told to leave Organa out of the loop by Solo until he decided what to do. I'm pretty sure Han would have filled in the princess very quickly but you went ahead and included her, countermanding my orders. In fact, you went to her before you told either me or Solo."

Mara squared her shoulders mulishly. "It got me the information I required. Ghent had given me the data but I needed the gut reaction and I got it from Her Royal Highness. Shock tactics work on these people. She's good, I admit that, but she reacted to my questions exactly the way I wanted her to." Mara subsided into the chair opposite Karrde's. "It was her right to know just as much as Solo's. She is Skywalker's sister and I still think she knows where he is or she has, at least, some idea."

"But she was shocked at the news of you encountering him on Druckenwell. Solo and Organa genuinely haven't heard from Skywalker in over three years."

"So there are things they don't know. Encountering the blue-eyed boy was a surprise for me too – not my idea of a pleasure jaunt. All I knew up until then was that he was Organa's brother and I had told you that part. He's…"

"He's what?"

"Not what I expected," she mumbled. "Not at all. He looked…ordinary."

"What did you expect? Two heads and breathing flames?"

"You must admit, Karrde, that Druckenwell _is_ a peculiar place for a Jedi."

"There's no place marked 'Jedi meeting place' on any of my star charts," Karrde snapped irritably. "The more unlikely the place…"

"Do you want to hear my theory, Karrde?" Mara murmured silkily.

"Go on."

"Organa thinks she knows where he is but can't find it or it's too dangerous for her to go there. It could be both. She has looked for him – as much as she is able to."

"Interesting theory." Karrde leaned forward, his pale eyes piercing. "Don't go against my wishes again, Mara, or I'll have to find another employee which would be a pity as you're one of the best I've ever had."

Mara swallowed, an unaccustomed feeling of shame filling her. She had let him down. Again she'd let her emotions override her rationality. The Emperor would have had her killed or worse. She looked up at him, her clear green eyes bright. "You have my word."

"Good."

She was changing into a different being. Mara knew that as surely as the sun rose and set on most worlds, sometimes even twice. She looked the same and sounded the same but inside she felt different. She wasn't even the same woman that had stepped onto Coruscant's dusty ferrocrete a mere couple of weeks ago. A memory of a hard body pressed against hers as she was rolled away to safety crossed her mind for the thousandth time since it had happened and she knew who was responsible for the changes. "When do you leave for Myrkr?" Mara asked quietly.

"In two days. We'll be based there for the next six months. I find Coruscant unpleasant for a long period of time – too many people."

Mara's face took on a strange expression as she recalled the museum displays that the New Republic had set up in the heart of what had once been Imperial Centre. It wasn't home any more - she wondered if it ever had been. "I'm beginning to agree with you. It's not what it once was." She pulled out a data reader and slotted in a card. "I'll see if Organa will meet me at the gym tomorrow. Perhaps I can learn something more. She may be willing to talk to me properly."

"Let me know this time, hmm?"

Mara nodded. "Yes, I will. Talon, if she has any more information, it could mean that I may have to follow up some leads."

"Then you follow them but let me know where you are going."

"So you still don't trust me, Karrde?"

"I ought not to but I do. I want you to remember that trust once lost, is extremely hard to regain."

"I know."

"However, finding Luke Skywalker is proving to be more interesting than I thought and you are the person I depend on to do it. My wanting to know where you are is a concern for your safety."

"I can take care of myself, Talon."

"I know you can. But I look after my people and you are one of those."

He stood up, a powerful figure in his own right. Mara wondered if it was fate that drew her to these types of men. She'd revered the Emperor, would have given her life for him but liked the freedom of working for Karrde more. Mara squashed her feelings of guilt. It was still the young Jedi Knight that fascinated her the most and she would complete her mission. One day he would die.

'_You will kill Luke Skywalker,'_ rang once more inside her head but the voice wasn't the all-powerful tirade she once remembered. It seemed to be the spiteful ranting of an old man who childishly wanted to ruin the lives of others because he hadn't got his way.

Mara bit her lip as she stood waiting for the turbolift to descend. It was getting harder and harder to hold onto her hate.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

An hour after they'd gone in to see Mon Mothma, Leia and Han wandered wearily towards the skyhook's landing strip to see if their speeder was in the place where they had left it. It was. Jerroth stood guard over it like a rancor pup waiting for its first bone.

"Your Highness, General Solo."

"Thanks Jerroth." Han helped Leia into the speeder and they headed towards Leia's apartment. The traffic lanes weren't any less busy than they'd been earlier.

Han was content to pilot the small craft in a restrained fashion, Leia curved sweetly against him, craving his warmth. "See, sweetheart, Mon Mothma didn't even blink when you told her."

"Yes, it was as if she'd been expecting something like this."

"You mean she knew?" Han's voice rose.

"No, she didn't know…couldn't have known. But she wasn't at all concerned. I was expecting something more."

"Shock, horror…the works?" Han suggested helpfully. "It wasn't a new warlord or a galaxy destroying weapon we were announcing…for once."

Leia frowned at him. "Not quite. I just thought her reaction would be bigger but she took it very calmly. She seemed to be genuinely happy."

"Why shouldn't she be happy?" Han asked. "She was a little surprised, that was all."

"You must admit Luke and I are very different. I don't think anyone would guess that we are related."

"I don't know. Yes, your colouring is different but sometimes when you both smile…" He shrugged. "I guess you would have to know that the relationship exists to spot the similarities. It's not an obvious resemblance."

"That's a good thing if we were supposed to have been hidden from Vader and the Emperor. No one was to know our true identity."

Han shrugged. "You're both very stubborn."

"Takes one to know one," Leia said with a smile. "Luke's not stubborn."

Han gave a bark of laughter. "The Kid…not stubborn! _Leia_, Luke's worse than anyone I've ever met - even me. He's so stubborn you don't always see it and that's very shrewd of him." He eased in behind a luxury enclosed shuttle. "Could you talk him out of leaving?"

Leia shook her head. "No."

"Neither could I, Wedge, Admiral Ackbar or Mon Mothma. He'd made up his mind and there was no shaking him from it."

"Yes, I guess there wasn't."

"You don't have to keep this a secret any longer and that's a good thing. There have been too many secrets in your life."

Leia nodded. "I agree but it was for the best at the time. I can understand that." She could see her apartment block ahead. It would be good to sleep in her own bed tonight with Han holding her. She felt so tired that her very bones ached.

Han flew the vehicle into their private hangar. "Hey," he murmured, as she blinked large dark sleepy eyes in his direction.

"Sorry, Han. It's been a long and exciting day." She smiled lovingly at him. "I never expected to get engaged either."

Han's mouth opened as if to say something, closed it and looked appalled at himself. "Kessel," he muttered, rubbing his hand over his chin. "What was I thinking about?"

"Han?" Leia's voice showed her bewilderment. "You didn't want to get engaged?"

"Of course I did," he snapped back immediately. "I've wanted that for years. It's just…" He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small box. "It's not as flashy as the Duke would manage but I love you and that has to count for something. Here."

Leia took the box and gasped as a simple ring was revealed, the stone gleaming with a pearlescent glow. "A durindfire gem," she breathed.

"It's not very big," Han muttered, his face flushing a little.

"It's beautiful. I've never seen a stone of such purity."

"Reminded me of you," Han said roughly and cleared his throat. "May I?" he asked.

"Please," Leia said tremulously, as Han slid the ring onto her finger. A tear ran down her face and she threw herself into his arms. This was right for Han and for her and they should have done it years earlier. "I love you."

"I know." He lowered his head and kissed her. They drew apart and strolled into the building together, their hands clasped.

"Mon Mothma seemed to be genuinely pleased for us," Han said.

"She was," Leia said. "I could feel it."

Han pulled her into his strong arms as they waited for the turbolift to take them up to the top storey of the building. "I didn't think you'd say yes." His voice held awe.

"Why would you think that?" Leia asked. "I love you."

"You know…" He shrugged. "A princess and a guy like me."

"As I said, nerf-herder, I love you. No one else will do for me - not now…not ever."

"So where is he?" Han asked as they entered Leia's lounge.

"Where is who?" Leia said pulling off her wrap and laying it over the back of a chair.

"Your brother."

Leia's lips pressed tightly together and then she expelled a large sigh. "I'm telling the truth when I say that I don't really know."

"I know."

"You do?" Leia was surprised.

"If you did, you'd have gone to see him nearly three years ago. You'd have people keeping watch over him, maybe even cajoling him into the odd little excursion on behalf of the New Republic."

"You make me sound…interfering," Leia whispered. "Bothering with the galaxy's problems and not giving him a chance to sort out his own first."

"Whatever he does, the galaxy's problems will be his."

"He wanted to learn how to solve them the best that he could. I understood and yet I didn't."

"It's because you love him and I appreciate that fact but even I can now see why he went away. That's in the past though; he should be home with his family. It's been too long."

"Yes, I want my brother home with me."

"Where do you actually _think_ he is?" asked Han, moving to the drinks cabinet and pouring them both a large Corellian whisky.

Leia took a thankful sip of the spirit and closed her eyes as she felt its warmth trickle down her throat. "He once mentioned a place – it's where he went before when…"

"When I was a carbonite wall ornament."

She nodded. "It's a planet called Dagobah."

Han tilted his head to one side. He'd heard that name before. "Dagobah," he said, rolling the word around on his tongue. "Dagobah! I've heard…where did I hear?" Han's brow furrowed. "I know… he mentioned that name on Hoth but he was delirious. We'd just picked him up. He'd been lying face down in the snow just after the wampa attacked him."

"I remember." Leia gave a shiver. "I thought I'd lost both of you." They'd all been lucky to survive Hoth.

"I thought he was dead at first but then Luke began rambling, calling for Obi-Wan and he mentioned Yoda and Dagobah," Han recalled. "It meant nothing to me then. I was more concerned with getting Luke and myself to shelter otherwise we would not have lasted the night. It's not an experience I want to repeat." He took a gulp of the whisky and coughed. "Where actually is Dagobah? I've been a lot of places and, apart from Luke mentioning it on Hoth, I've never even heard about it from another pilot."

"That's the problem."

"Problem?"

"Go and pull up the New Republic star charts."

Mystified, Han went to the com centre and did so. "Got them."

Leia's smile held strain. "Okay…find Dagobah."

Han typed in the name of the planet and waited while the machine whirred. "Nothing," he said. "It either isn't on the chart or it doesn't exist."

"I think it's the former and I have looked. If Yoda was hiding from the Emperor he would not want to be easily discovered."

"So he hides on an uncharted world waiting for a Jedi strong in the light side of the Force to drop in for a visit."

"That's about it. I have to believe that he's safe."

"The galaxy's a big place. He could be anywhere."

"I know," Leia whispered, dejection written all over her pretty face. Her expression brightened a little. "But Mara Jade saw him on Druckenwell."

Han crossed to her and took her in his arms. "There are other star charts. Older ones from a time before you were born. Surely you can access Imperial files."

"I've never tried but you could be right. We have dozens of programmers down in the crypt still working on old Imperial codes and files." Leia spoke of a room in the Imperial palace. "I'll get in touch with them first thing tomorrow. See if they have anything."

A light began blinking on the console.

"Seems you have a caller, sweetheart," Han commented, downing the last of his drink and immediately pouring another.

"Yes, said Leia flicking a switch and watching Talon Karrde's face materialise in front of her. "Talon," she said.

"I called to apologise," the smuggler chief said, his face grave.

Leia shook her head. "There's no need."

"Yes, there was a need. Mara can be…" He sighed.

Leia tried to search his face for clues but he was skilled in keeping his thoughts and emotions to himself. She smiled ruefully. "Very thorough."

Karrde relaxed, the tension eased from his shoulders. The Princess was not going to make things difficult, although she had every right to do so. "Mara is an unknown entity in many respects, but I do trust her with the general running of my group's operations. She's a good worker but it doesn't excuse her for what she did. She knows this and is genuinely sorry. She has a lot of issues left over from her past. The main one of them being your brother, Princess."

"Did you know…?"

Karrde knew what she was asking. "I heard a rumour but discounted it. Mara went one step further and checked it out and had sources even I didn't know that she had."

"Luke Skywalker is my brother and I'm glad about it."

"Then why hide it?"

"I didn't grow up with Luke. I didn't know he even existed until he walked into my cell on the first Death Star and proceeded to rescue me. We only found out about the relationship years later, during the battle of Endor. It was a surprise to us both and has still left us with many questions, most of which will never be answered."

"I can imagine that."

She gave the smuggler chief a direct stare. "I cannot let Mara kill my brother."

"No, I suppose you can't. But I'm not sure that she really wants to kill him. I did tell her he was better off alive."

"My brother is very stubborn and not an easy man to slay. Remember, the Emperor and several notorious bounty hunters tried and failed."

"Darth Vader too?"

Leia's eyes became cold. "Vader didn't want to kill Luke. He wanted to turn him to the Dark Side, to join him so that together they could defeat Palpatine and rule the galaxy. Vader wanted Luke's strength. He could not defeat Palpatine alone."

Karrde was surprised but then remembered that Mara had insinuated something similar.

Han pulled up a chair and sat beside Leia, his hand on her shoulder offering his support. "It's all about power," he said. "Two against one, greater strength in numbers, the bigger the bantha…Do you want me to continue?"

Karrde's lips thinned. "No, I think I get the holo. Do still want my organisation to continue the search for your friend, Solo?"

Han looked at Leia and raised his eyebrows in an unspoken query.

Her lips tightened but she nodded. "Yes. Find Luke and let Jade help you. She is Force strong after all which should interest Luke. He's going to need plenty of recruits if the Jedi are to rise again."

"Mara….a Jedi?" This time, Karrde couldn't keep the astonishment from his voice. "She hates the Jedi. She may not kill Skywalker now but she fully intends to one of these days."

"My brother is not without his own defences if she tries anything. As I said, Palpatine tried and failed."

"Besides," Han chuckled. "We quite like her." Leia grinned, and Han saw again the elusive Skywalker likeness.

"Tell Mara that I'll be at the gym tomorrow…usual time…and that I've got information for her."

"She thought you might have. You could tell me," Karrde said.

"No, I'll only tell Mara…for now."

"She will probably tell me," Karrde said with a smile. "I know for a fact that she's planning to be in the gym at _her_ usual time tomorrow."

"Convenient," Han drawled cynically.

"Planning," Karrde drawled back dryly. "I'm heading back to my base on Myrkr at the end of this week and won't be back on Coruscant for at least the next six months. It's not my favourite place."

Han agreed. "Good to have met you again, Karrde, and keep in touch."

"Will do. Mara will see you tomorrow, Princess Leia. I can't guarantee any further problems but I've had words with her."

"Thank you, Talon," Leia said. "I'm looking forward to it." She closed the connection. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Han beckoning her, a glass of something celebratory in his hand.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Dagobah**

Returning from his run, Luke approached the clearing where he and Yoda had made their home. The two structures sat side by side, so different, yet providing the same function – shelter. He frowned, as a shiver ran through him. He could feel something ominous looming at the edge of his consciousness and sinking into the Force, he knew what it was.

Snapping open eyes he hadn't realised that he'd closed, Luke began sprinting towards his Master's hut, fear suffusing his whole being. No! This couldn't be happening – not now. "Master Yoda," he shouted. "Master Yoda!"

His heart was pounding, his breath coming in gasps as he burst through the door. Yoda lay on the floor where he'd fallen, his breathing shallow, his little clawed hand clutched at his chest.

Luke dropped to his knees and felt for the fragile pulse. He was still alive. "Master," Luke gasped.

"Nothing can you do," the old creature whispered faintly.

"No, I have to do something…please." Luke offered him a little of his own strength. "I have to…help you."

"No pain I suffer," Yoda's voice was a thread of sound. "Sinking I am. Inevitable this is and soon."

"Rest," Luke urged and lifted him into his bed, covering the old creature with a simple homespun blanket.

His Master was dying.


	16. Chapter 16

**Out of the Shadows 16**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title.

**Coruscant**

Mara dug into the bottom of her carryall and pulled out a couple of cylindrical lengths of boa wood that she screwed together to form a staff as long as she was tall. 'I don't know for certain if Organa will turn up today after yesterday's debacle,' she told herself. 'But I think she wants to know more about Skywalker's visit to Druckenwell.' It felt strange to think of Skywalker and Organa as brother and sister – they looked nothing alike. However, the facts didn't lie. The genetic material had proved to be a nearly perfect match.

She took a quick glance at her wrist chrono. "I might as well do something with my time, Organa's never usually this late." And for some reason, she didn't feel like dancing. Placing her music chip into the machine, she selected a music track containing a pulsating, driving, rhythmic melody and launched herself into her workout, athletically wielding her weapon with ease.

For the first time in years, Mara felt as if her life had direction. It wasn't perhaps the direction she'd thought that it might have taken. Her lips twitched with ironic amusement. In fact some sort of destination would be a good thing. She closed her eyes and reached out for the Force and found the connection instantly. Her eyes flew open in surprise and her grip on the staff slipped. It had never happened so easily before and she could feel a presence approaching. Leia Organa, no, Leia _Skywalker_ had almost as powerful a presence as her brother had.

Cautiously, Leia peered in through the transparisteel view port to see if Mara was there and tapped quietly on the door.

Without thinking, Mara stretched out her hand and, pausing the music with the Force, indicated that Leia, dressed in dark red pants and a short grey tunic, her hair neatly braided and coiled at the nape of her neck, should join her.

"What are you doing?" Leia asked Mara, as the red head, clad from head to toe in a black body suit, returned to working through a series of sharp aggressive lunges with the staff grasped firmly in her hands. "It looks familiar."

"Echani," Mara said, breathing a little heavily. "It lacks finesse but can be very effective if done properly. I took part in some classes taken by those considered to be experts in this style." She didn't tell the princess that Echani had been the premier fighting style taught to Palpatine's red clad royal guards. She'd already given away far too much about herself. "It was then decided that I should learn many styles of fighting. Teras Kasi, K'thri, Stava, K'tara, to name but a few."

"And you trained in this for how long?" Leia was curious. This was far more than mere routine. This woman was a master of the art.

"Since I was a little girl."

"How old were you when you started?"

"I can't remember," Mara dismissed brusquely but she was lying; she remembered very well. Mara had been just four years old and they'd had to cut a special length of wood for her to practice with. Even the training staffs had been too large. "I was told it would help keep me alive and it has."

"My father, Bail Organa, used to like watching K'thri bouts as a form of relaxation," Leia said thoughtfully, remembering. "He liked nothing better than to sit in our informal lounge, watching the matches on the holo viewer. He said that he enjoyed their skill. I had no time for it. I just thought that it was two grown men beating each other senseless – I still think that." Her expression saddened. "I still miss him." He had been her real father – a wonderful man, not that…that monster.

"There is skill involved but it can look like primitives beating one another to a pulp to outsiders." Mara dropped her staff which fell to the ground with a clatter. "K'Tara on the other hand uses stealth to achieve its aims in short quick bursts. It expends little energy and attracts almost no attention. I can teach you if you like." Mara blinked as the words escaped from her own mouth. Where had that come from?

Leia's mouth dropped open in surprise. "I'd like that, thank you." The princess rightly assumed that this was a form of apology for yesterday's proton torpedo and this was all she was going to get from the redhead. But the subject had to be aired for them to move forward. "Mara, you don't really want to kill my brother, do you?"

"Oh yes."

"But he's done nothing to you."

"I told you, he ruined my life."

"Your life seems fine to me, better than most."

Mara's green eyes flashed coldly. "I had power…"

"You're free and alive, you have employment, the use of your own two hands and you have the Force." Leia wasn't about to back down. She did not want this woman as an enemy and something told her it was vital that she win her around. Perhaps, Luke's life would one day depend on that. "In my view that is power."

Mara shook her head. Damn but Organa was good. If these were the kind of words that led a rebellion to victory, she could well believe it and not for the first time. She snorted. "Yeah, right."

"It's what you do with it. You will never regain what you had in the way that you had it. You may even find that you no longer want it the same way that you did. Other things become more important." Leia rubbed her hands together. As far as she was concerned, the subject was finished for the moment.

"There's more to it than that," Mara said shortly, hanging onto it like a rancor with a bone.

"If you say so." Leia shrugged casually.

"I do." The green eyes narrowed dangerously, daring her to continue.

Leia tilted her head thoughtfully, unfazed by the hostile expression glaring back at her. She gazed at Mara as if she was trying to fathom the way that the redhead's mind worked. This woman was determined and had it in her to find Luke. When she spoke again, it was a single word. "Dagobah," she said.

"What?"

"Dagobah."

"Never heard of it. What is it?" She was wasting her time; Organa would be no help at all.

"It's a 'where' is it. If you want to find my brother, that's the place or planet I think he's hiding out on. I think it's a place. But I could be wrong."

"Then _where_ is it?"

"I don't know. I was hoping you could tell me."

"You don't know," Mara said incredulously. "Let me get this straight. Your brother has been gone three years and you have a place name but you haven't found out where it is. Oh, come on. Do you expect me to believe that?"

"It's the truth and believe me, I've tried to find Dagobah," Leia said grimly. "I've checked every republic star chart that I've managed to get my hands on and it's simply not there."

"That doesn't mean that it doesn't exist now, does it?" The two women shared a smile and Mara found that she liked the sense of shared camaraderie. She had always worked alone; the Emperor had not permitted friendships. But now she had Karrde and… Mara wasn't certain that she was ready to call Organa a friend.

Leia shrugged. "You and Karrde seem to have other methods of information gathering far superior to anything I've come across, so I'm giving you this. I'm giving _you_ Dagobah. You won't get that piece of information from anyone else. I can guarantee it. I want to know what _you_ can find out from this."

"You are certain that's where he is?" So ultimately, Organa did have the goods to trade. This wasn't information Mara had heard from any other source.

Leia sighed. "No, but it's a logical conclusion. That's where he went after the battle of Hoth to be trained as a Jedi and he returned there after we rescued Han from Tatooine. Luke's Jedi Master was hiding on Dagobah. Luke said he was very old and sick and I thought he had to be dead by now. Luke didn't talk about him much, especially after Hoth. Perhaps it was to protect him. Vader managed to capture Han and me on Bespin as we tried to escape the bombardment on Hoth. We were chased into a trap. Luke, knowing nothing of our difficulties, cleared Hoth's atmosphere and without letting anyone know where he'd gone - went to train on Dagobah."

Mara knew the salient points of Organa's story but it was fascinating hearing it from the woman herself. "And he wasn't dead, this Master…"

"Yoda."

"_Yoda!" _There was real surprise in Mara's voice as it was a name she was familiar with. Her Master had mentioned that name on several occasions, always with anger and vituperative words. But Palpatine had thought that Yoda was dead – had scoured the galaxy for him. Another mistake. Yoda had managed to stay in hiding and then train Skywalker. "Why did he leave the Alliance after Bakura?"

Leia pursed her lips; Mara was familiar with the name of Luke's Jedi Master. It should have been unknown but it wasn't. Leia had already come to the conclusion that Mara's past was far more interesting than she wanted them to realise. "We went to Bakura to help the people there. The Empire was in no position to do so after Endor and they were in real trouble. Something happened while we were there and Luke blamed himself."

"Was it his fault?"

"No, he did what he could but the boy, a young man strong in the Force, died. Luke thought that he should have saved him."

"Ah, I see, I think," Mara couldn't reconcile this picture of the Jedi with the one Palpatine had painted. "Could he have saved the boy?"

Leia shook her head. "No, nothing could have saved Dev Sibwarra - his injuries were far too severe - but at least he died at peace with himself and with the light of the Force surrounding him. Luke was able to grant him that. But he was one Jedi Knight against the whole Ssi-Ruuk invasion? It wasn't enough. Luke nearly died out there but still thought that if he'd had more training, he would have been able to save the boy. Luke just wants to do the best that he can. Every life is precious to him and especially, the saving of a Force strong soul. Sibwarra was someone Luke might have been able to train as a Jedi one day"

There it was again, Organa making Skywalker seem likeable.

"Luke wants to save the galaxy. On his own, he can't." Leia turned her head away from Mara's gaze. "And he'll kill himself trying."

"Yeah," Mara sneered. "Sure."

Leia spun around and faced Mara. "Once you've met him, you'll see."

"I have met him," Mara countered.

"And?"

"Not enough time to change my mind. It must have been all of two or three minutes." Mara couldn't admit to the princess that he'd made an impression on her in that very short time. There were not many people could do that. She could still remember the warmth in his blue gaze and he'd stared at her as if he could see into her soul, the feel of his hard body pressed against her own. She didn't have such close contact with many people. She didn't like to be touched. Touching was intimate, spoke of closeness. Mara was close to no one.

"But you didn't kill him then…"

"Didn't have time," Mara returned.

Leia's brow furrowed. "You, who were a…a…a trained assassin." She looked appalled as the truth of Mara's former life hit her. "That's what you were, an assassin."

"Yes, amongst other things." Mara waited for the fear and condemnation. With Leia Organa, she got neither.

"Trained from childhood?" Leia's voice tailed away. "Oh, Mara I'm so sorry."

Mara lifted her head. That wasn't what she expected to hear. Instead of disapproval in Leia's brown eyes, there was pity. She didn't want this woman's pity; she didn't need anyone's pity. "Oh, I was far more than a mere assassin, Your Highness. Your brother is the only target I've ever missed."

"Perhaps there was a reason for that." Leia's voice rang confidently around the exercise room. She was certain that he'd been saved by the Force. "Luke is a good man whatever lies you've been told. He's not a pious, sanctimonious do-gooder either. He has his faults - he's a man, after all - but his heart is true and I love him."

Mara shook her head. Organa really believed in what she was saying. All these people believed in the goodness of this man – this Jedi.

Leia's comlink sounded and the voice at the other end could be heard clearly. "Hey, sweetheart!"

"Han," Leia said, her face lighting up.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"Still at the gym. I'll tell you all about it later."

"Uh, okay. I wonder…could you come and meet me? There's a ruckus just north of here. It's happening where the rebuilding project in Imperial City is taking place. I've sent you the grid co-ordinates."

"What's happening?"

"Some sort of protest. I don't know very much about it, to be honest," Han admitted. "It would be beneficial to all if a member of the Council could be present. Someone with mediation skills. There are some very unhappy beings out there. All the demolition and rebuilding work has stopped for the moment but the construction company bosses are threatening to start them up again."

"And the people are refusing to move, I take it?" Leia said, rolling her eyes at Mara. "Why not call the security forces?"

"The construction droids can't continue any further because of this. It's not just any old group of protesters either. A party from the University of Coruscant has moved in and has begun working on one of the buildings. Something was found last week in what they suspect are the foundations of some important monument or other. Some woman from the department of antiquities said that this is a unique area of historical importance."

"I thought you didn't know anything about it?" Leia said, grinning.

"I know enough," Han's disembodied voice complained. "This is not my area of expertise."

"I wonder…" Leia's mouth twisted wryly. "It sounds like the way she used to operate but surely it couldn't be her."

"Her?" Mara queried.

"It's funny, I haven't thought about her in years but still…"

"Thought about whom?" Mara said getting exasperated.

"Doctor Rule?" Leia said.

"Don't know any names as yet." Han's disgruntled sigh could clearly be heard by both women over the comlink.

"I'll see you there." Leia clicked off her comlink and began gathering her things together.

"There was something the other day about the possibility of Jedi finds being located in the city," Mara muttered as a strange feeling swept through her. "An area of historical importance…" she said. "Could it be?"

"I heard that too," Leia agreed. "In fact, I was scheduled to visit the site at some point. I can't remember when. Winter would know."

"Winter?"

"My aide, when she's not being borrowed by the military."

"The gym has a computer room for its members," Mara said. "I checked it out the other day."

"What are we waiting for?" Leia grabbed her bag and set off out the door.

"For me to pack up?" Mara had to spend a couple of minutes stuffing her own possessions away but she was finding it difficult to dislike Skywalker's sister. The woman was so damn nice but no pushover.

The holo-access room was empty for which the two women were thankful. Leia pulled up the file Han had sent and read out the co-ordinates. Mara began tapping away on one of the keypads and moments later a holomap of the Imperial City centre was before them focusing on the Imperial Palace itself. The redhead pursed her lips and began tapping in more commands.

"What?"

Mara nodded. "Just as I thought."

"What?" Leia repeated.

Mara pointed to the screen. "I've superimposed an older map over the first one. This map predates the Clone Wars."

"Oh."

"I presume you took courses in galactic history?"

"Of course I did," Leia answered, staring over Mara's shoulders at the vid-screen. Galactic history was an important course for any budding senatorial candidate but not usually for independent trade operatives. "My father tutored me at home on Alderaan."

"Ah, the Rebel perspective."

Leia nodded. "My father didn't exactly agree with the Imperial slant on education and he lived through some interesting times, as have we."

"But you know enough to say for sure that the building currently being investigated before the droids move in, is most probably directly above where the Jedi Temple once was."

"You are right," Leia breathed. "I should have known, especially with something being found last week that was rumoured to be possibly of Jedi origin."

"Do you know what it was?"

Leia shook her head. "No, it was removed to the university for study. There've been so many of these finds in the last few months that it's been difficult to keep track of them all."

"Solo is right. Someone should be there – a representative on behalf of the Jedi. Otherwise these finds disappear into a cupboard somewhere and never see the light of day again."

"I'm not a Jedi," Leia said sharply.

"But you are strong in the Force as is your brother. These abilities often run in families and until he shows up you are the nearest being the Jedi have got."

"Tell me something I don't know," Leia snapped, her hands clenching into fists. Inside her head she could still hear Luke saying, '_The Force is strong in my family. My father has it…I have it…and my sister has it.'_

Mara tilted her head to one side. She was getting very mixed feelings coming from the princess. This wasn't the same feeling that came from Organa with regards to her brother. Those feelings were warm and loving. This was something else altogether. "You need to be there, as a representative of the Senate and the inner council, if nothing else."

"Is something telling you that I should be there?" asked Leia.

"I don't know. My gut feeling tells me…something. I don't know what. Make up your own mind. No one else can truly make it for you. But I can tell you one thing. If you don't go, sure as hell I'll get nowhere near the place."

Leia's respect for Karrde's assistant was growing. This strange woman showed depths of intellect that ran far deeper than your average smuggler. But then she'd never had to deal with the average smuggler. The ones she'd met had all been above average and very possibly unique. "You want to come?"

"Sure, my nose is bothering me," Mara said casually.

"That sounds like something my…something that Han might say."

Mara glared at her, not keen to be compared directly with Solo. "Doctor Rule?" she mused. "The name is familiar."

"It should be, if you were on Coruscant before it fell…so to speak." The inference was there. Leia knew that Mara had worked for the Empire in a very important capacity. While Mara hadn't hidden that, she hadn't advertised it in glowing letters either. How high up in Imperial circles had this woman been? "We need to go and pay them a little visit."

The smile Leia gave Mara was wicked and it gave the former Emperor's hand a bit of a shock. Leia Organa had durasteel in her veins and wasn't nearly quite as 'nice' as Mara had thought. Her intelligence was not in question and never had been. The two women eyed each other again with increased respect.

"This Doctor Rule person?" Mara hinted darkly. "What did she do?"

"She made quite a name for herself even then. Academics were not exactly high on the list of Palpatine's favourite people."

"No," Mara said reluctantly.

"They thought too much. People with ideas were dangerous."

Mara hesitated; she couldn't quite reply to what Organa was saying. Mara was discomfited to find that she couldn't refute the princess's statement out of hand. "I suppose so."

"Folla Rule definitely had a flair for the dramatic," Leia explained. "She worked as an archaeologist in the department of antiquities for the University of Coruscant."

"Hence this stunt," breathed Mara.

"Oh, this is no stunt. If she follows the pattern I remember, she will have every holo-journalist on the planet present and will be ready to make a grand entrance."

"So that the entire galaxy can witness the forces of government bearing down upon our history and destroying things that should be preserved."

Leia nodded. "Exactly. Whoever it is has already shipped in people to start work."

"Clever. Forcing the authority's hand."

"The woman's a media genius – if it's her."

"What did she look like?" Mara queried as she tried in vain to recall this female.

"Attractive," Leia murmured. "Didn't look like an academic. She was quite glamorous…tall, slim, dark hair, eloquent…" She stared down at the map of the city which was still displayed on the vid-screen. "She wasn't important to me at the time but I do remember her addressing the Senate. I was sixteen and just learning for the first time how intolerant and harsh the Empire could be. I was more interested in beings than things. It seems so long ago. Practically a lifetime ago."

"Would she have survived?"

"Coruscant has changed little. You must have seen that. Government changes but life for the citizens of the most populated world in the galaxy remains much the same."

"True."

Leia's com buzzed. "My minders," she said with a grin. "Yes, General Solo did give you the correct information. I'm just on the point of leaving and I have company. Mistress Jade of the Karrde group will be my companion." She reeled off the set of grid reference numbers Han had transmitted to her. "I'll see you there. We have clearance? Good. Platform seven-nine-eight." She flicked off the comlink and attached it to the collar of her tunic.

"We can use my speeder," Mara said dryly. The woman was a human power droid once she got going.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Dagobah**

Carefully Luke assisted his Master to bed. Yoda lay motionless, his breathing shallow, his face almost grey with pain but the young Jedi sensed that his Master was at peace. Luke drew the covers up and went to fetch a cup of water. In it, he sprinkled some of the medicinal herbs he'd collected on one of his travels. The infusion seemed to ease the old Master's pain

"Door open… I wish," Yoda whispered.

"Please, Master Yoda," Luke entreated softly. "Save your strength. Don't try to talk." He held the cup to Yoda's lips. "Drink this."

"To hear the song, I desire."

Luke shook his head, confused, but he went to the door and opened it. As soon as he did so, he heard a strange, eerie humming. "What is that?"

A streak of scarlet caught his gaze. "Scarlet on Dagobah?" he exclaimed. Everything was either green, grey or brown, the colour palette muted and dull. "What on…"

"Jubba bird," Yoda's voice was faint. "Sing to me it will. Knows I need to hear its song it does. A gift it honours me."

Luke stared as a large, brightly plumaged bird, alighted on the nearest branch and began to sing. Low and sensuous, the melody wound through his head, calming his mind and easing the worry and sadness in his heart. The song of the Jubba bird was part of the Force and the bird had known that Yoda needed his music. Taking a deep breath, he turned back to Yoda and found that his Master was asleep, his breathing still shallow, but he was peaceful. Luke decided that sleep was the best thing for the aged Jedi. It could not be long now.

"Thank you," he said to the bird.

The avian stretched its wings and preened before launching into a wistful melody that reminded the young man of something his Aunt Beru used to sing to him when he was troubled. The last song had been for Yoda. Luke knew he was immensely privileged as the bird sang this one for him. It was as if the Force had told the beautiful creature of Luke's own pain at the imminent loss of his friend and master.

"He's dying," Luke told the bird, who seemed to understand him. "I don't want to be selfish, but I need him. I don't know if I'm ready to go on alone."

"You won't be alone."

Luke swung his gaze away from the preening Jubba bird and smiled. Approaching him from out of the twisted jungle of trees was a shimmering figure he knew well. "Obi-Wan!" He greeted his first teacher and guide thankfully.

"We will always be with you."

"I know," Luke said matter-of-factly. "You told me that before…after Endor."

"I did, didn't I? You _are_ ready, Luke."

"I have to be, don't I?"

"Yes." The smile on Obi-Wan's face was one of love and pride. "It's nearly time for you to rejoin the real world, Luke – make the Jedi rise again."

The young man stiffened, sorrow etched upon his features. "Yes," he whispered, staring out into the darkening gloom as Dagobah's night began to fall. "I know. This has all been like a strange dream being here. I feel cocooned, cut off from my reality. But I know what I have to do. It is my task, my debt…my life to give."

"And you will rise to your challenge, Luke. You willingly isolated yourself from your loved ones to allow total concentration on your training. This now gives you an advantage many Jedi did not have, including myself. I was brought to the temple as a baby. I lived most of my formative years amongst the Jedi and after having been apprenticed, I was almost always with other Jedi until the Sith destroyed the only home I'd ever known, overthrew the Republic and took control over the galaxy and forced us into hiding."

"The Jedi had already cut themselves off from the people," Luke murmured.

Obi-Wan sighed and seated himself on a fallen branch of the gnarl tree. "Most beings distrust something they cannot truly understand. Only the Jedi can understand the Force and although we worked with the beings of the galaxy we were always a separate part of that universe. I had the temple to return to time and again until the day it was destroyed and we all left for exile. You, Luke, always knew that your outside world was waiting for you. Many of the Jedi never embraced reality. It was another reason why we failed."

Luke shook his head adamantly. "You failed because of Palpatine's evil."

"Perhaps, but the Jedi had become full of pride and from that came their blindness. We were taught to beware the dark side but no Jedi expected such concentrated evil emanating from one being to suddenly erupt in their lifetime."

"We have to believe in the good in people," Luke said. "Without hope what else is there?"

"Your belief in the goodness of others is one of your greatest strengths," Obi-Wan said. "Never lose that part of yourself, Luke. There will be days when even _you_ cannot see hope."

The young man nodded. "My sister..."

"Misses you."

"As I do her." Luke laid a hand on top of Artoo's domed head. "But I will be with her soon."

"This is a certainty. Your willing exile will soon be over."

"Of course it will. Can't you feel his spirit slipping away to join you?" He stopped and took a deep breath. "I will not leave him to die alone. No one should have that happen to him."

"It is his time." Obi-Wan's faded gaze watched Artoo Detoo rotate his little round head.

"Go and watch over Master Yoda, Artoo. He should be sleeping." The little droid beeped softly and rolled into Yoda's hut. "When Yoda passes…" Luke stared in the direction his droid had taken and swallowed, visibly distressed. "And it won't be long now." Luke struggled to regain control, his head bowed.

"It is the way of all things, Luke," Obi-Wan counselled gently.

"Yes, but does it have to be so hard?" he said.

"He is old, tired and sick, Luke. Do you deny him what he craves…what he deserves?"

"No, of course not."

Obi-Wan stood up again, his shimmering hand resting on Luke's shoulder. "He has earned his right to his peace. Yes, you have seen more than your fair share of death. We would have protected you from all of that if we could have done so but we could not."

"I know."

"This is a good end for Yoda. He dies with dignity, his last padawan by his side."

"It has been a great honour for me to have been trained by both you and Master Yoda." Luke and the spirit of Obi-Wan began to walk towards Luke's own dwelling; Artoo would keep watch on Master Yoda for now.

"What are your plans once…?"

"I haven't really made any," Luke confessed. "But I think I'll head towards Coruscant and find Leia and Han, perhaps stop off on Tatooine for a few days. Catch up with Rogue Squadron. Eat a good dinner." He shook his head and laughed. "Search for new Jedi."

"And the girl?" Obi-Wan's blue-green gaze suddenly held a sharp twinkle.

"What girl?" Luke answered quickly.

"The one with the spectacular hair colour you keep dreaming about."

"I do not," Luke muttered defensively. "What's this? An Imperial interrogation?"

The ghostly form of Obi-Wan chuckled. "She's very…"

"What happened to all that 'a Jedi should not know love' business?"

"With your family, Luke, that doesn't appear to work too well. So perhaps it's time for the Jedi to look at things from a different perspective."

"I'm not in love with her. I don't know her." Luke wondered why his words sounded as if they lacked conviction. "I only met her once and she didn't take to me. I'm not in love with anyone. I was never very successful in the relationship stakes. And I don't know where she is. The galaxy is too vast."

The old Jedi chuckled. "Give her time - perhaps she will find you first."

"_Find me first!_ Obi-Wan…" But the old man had vanished into the descending mists of the Dagobah night.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_


	17. Chapter 17

**Out of the Shadows 17**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title, and Michele for willingly reading it over.

**Coruscant**

"We'll use my air speeder," Mara said, holding up a slim black beckon call as they left the Imperial Palace fitness centre and walked into the private docking facilities assigned to the members.

Just ahead Leia could hear the well-tuned whine of repulsor jet engines. "That's a good idea as I don't have my own transport today."

Mara put the beckon call back into her pocket. "We're heading due north?"

"Yes, the site of the new habitation complexes is to the north of Imperial Centre. I hadn't realised that the location of the Jedi Temple was so close to the site of the Imperial Palace. I presume that was deliberate on Palpatine's part?"

Mara didn't know, so she said nothing.

"As Han might say," Leia continued, "Palpatine was rubbing it in – his victory over the Jedi and the Old Republic?"

"Perhaps it was the only suitable site for such a large building."

"Perhaps. It was a tactic he used on Alderaan. If you've nowhere to go it's more difficult to organise resistance."

"Yet you managed to do it somehow," Mara sniped dryly.

"Never discount spirit, Mara." Leia glanced briefly at the trader, her suspicions of where Mara's true loyalties had once lain confirmed and, deciding to leave well enough alone for the moment, continued with a more mundane topic. "Karl and Chevin have arranged to meet me there, along with Han."

"Karl and Chevin." Mara screwed up her face with disdain. "Sounds like an Old Republic music hall double act."

"I wouldn't say that to them. They take their job very seriously," Leia said with a sigh. "Much to Han's annoyance."

"Why would Han be annoyed?" Mara couldn't quite understand that one. The two burly guards had to be amongst the best Airen Cracken had on his books if they'd been assigned to watch over Princess Leia.

"Because Han considers it to be his job," Leia said with a sigh. "He and Chewie should be looking after me."

"Idiot Corellian," Mara muttered, as a sleek, black air speeder drew up beside them. Slipping into the pilot's seat, she ran her hands carefully over the controls.

Leia threw her a sceptical look, ready to counter the disparaging remark with one of her own but relaxed when she realised that the tone of voice the red-head had used had been a mild one. "I'm still alive," she said mildly. "He can be an idiot at times but that's what I love…" Leia's voice stopped. She'd said too much. The trader didn't seem to be the type that would be interested in how much Leia loved her 'idiot Corellian'. "There's never been any doubt about Han's bravery. Plus we also have a Wookiee with a life debt hanging around."

"Ah…" No wonder Organa had been near impossible to eliminate. A jealous Corellian lover and a two metre tall Wookiee, both sworn to protect her at all costs, would be somewhat difficult to get past. "It's a pity we didn't have your minders with us - it would give more credence to you turning up at the site. As it is, we'll look like tourists on a fly past."

"Meeting them there will have to do," said Leia, staring thoughtfully at a family in an air taxi trying, with difficulty, to keep the children from leaning too far over the side. "My face is not unknown."

"No, I suppose it's not." Mara ignored the family, her gaze fixed firmly on her navicomputer. "Jump in." she said as she caught Leia's admiring glance at the sleek lines of the vehicle. "Karrde always makes sure that we have the latest model. He says that it's a good investment and I agree with that view." She moved the ship out of the docking bay and out into the airborne traffic. She had the feeling that her life was about to change again and wasn't sure if she was ready for that to happen again.

"I wonder what they've found," said Leia slowly. "And I wish Luke was here to see it."

"Have you managed to collect many Jedi artefacts since you put the word out?" Mara blurted, and cursed herself inwardly for sounding so gauche. But she preferred the awkwardness of conversation with Leia Organa rather than an uncomfortable silence. It left her with too much time to think.

"'Jedi artefacts?'" Leia echoed. "A few – nothing of real importance. Much was destroyed over the years with the breakdown of the Jedi culture. Luke has some discs and some books he was given by Obi-Wan Kenobi but not much else I think. After Luke returned from his first trip to Dagobah, I never saw him without a book or a loaded data pad far from his hand."

"A _studious_ Jedi farmboy – he reads?"

"Very studious and yes, he read constantly." Leia's expression was wistful as she ignored Mara's mockery. "He seemed to be trying to accumulate as much knowledge as he could in the shortest possible time. My father told me that during the Old Republic potential Jedi were brought to the temple as infants or very young children. Luke did not start any sort of training until he was eighteen years old and that was with Obi-Wan Kenobi. He died by Vader's hands on the first Death Star."

"I know."

"His training cut short before it had even begun. He did what he could on his own but he knew that it wasn't enough. After Hoth, he disappeared for what he said was training from a Jedi Master - one who'd survived the Clone Wars and gone into hiding."

"Master Yoda." It was all becoming very clear to Mara. Yoda had waited for Skywalker to find him. He'd been expecting him. Still, considering the way the Jedi had operated in the past, Skywalker had missed nearly twenty years of Jedi instruction.

"Luke told me once…it was a long time ago. Just after Hoth, I think, that Yoda had almost refused to train him because he was too old but I think neither of them had any choice in the end. Yoda had to train Luke. He was the only one – their only hope."

"Oh but you…"

"I didn't know about…our relationship then," Leia said slowly. "Luke felt that he had his whole lifetime's worth of knowledge to catch up on. He never seemed to smile any more and I didn't see that his sadness was so ingrained until after he'd gone. He was carrying the weight of the Rebellion's expectation on his shoulders and he shouldn't have had to do that. He'd already saved all of us."

Mara rolled her eyes but said nothing. Organa wanted to talk about her brother and so she would listen. She could perhaps learn something useful.

"The only time he truly relaxed was in his X-wing. That was the only thing that seemed to make him smile after a while. His flying came easier to him than his breathing did. It was effortless."

Mara pushed away her feelings of disquiet. She didn't want to think about Luke Skywalker as a real human being with a family who loved him and wanted him to come to home to them. It was far easier to keep him in mind as this inhuman monster. The more time she spent with his family, the harder it became to hold on to everything she'd been taught. "What about Praesitlyn?" she asked suddenly. "What exactly happened there?"

"How do you know about that?"

Mara grinned. "Karrde has his sources. I heard that they found a box of lightsabers."

"They did but the box disappeared. It was probably stolen. I knew that it contained lightsabers because the head librarian at the university showed me several of them while I spoke to her over the holonet. It was a genuine find. However, when the Rogues arrived to collect the box on my behalf a few days later, it wasn't there any more. It had vanished."

"Unfortunate."

"Yes and no, because a robbery attempt was thwarted while the Rogues were present on Praesitlyn."

"You are joking!" Mara exclaimed. "Someone tried to steal a box of lightsabers?"

Leia shook her head. "No. You cannot steal something that's already gone. Wedge was in the head librarian's office discussing transportation of the Jedi finds to Coruscant when there was an attempt to steal the box. But instead of the actual box, they lifted a duplicate filled with rubbish and dropped it while escaping. That's why I think Luke had been there earlier - only he could have known that the items were at risk." The princess suddenly wondered why she was telling this woman all of this. But it felt right to trust Mara Jade. Somehow, Leia knew that she wouldn't harm her brother whatever Mara herself still thought. Was it a Force hunch? She hoped so because she'd been wrong before.

"We're nearly there, it's just up ahead," Mara said, checking her navigational controls.

"I see it." Leia stared across at two giant construction droids poised waiting, partly visible between a set of dilapidated towering spires. A flurry of activity around one of the partially demolished buildings pinpointed their destination. A landing platform was teeming with droids and beings of all species. It even appeared as if a repulsor-car accommodation block had been set up. The whole scene looked as if insects were buzzing and crawling around a rotten carcass.

"Platform seven-nine-eight," Mara said flying towards it. "Are these…?"

"Yes, that's Karl and Chevin," Leia said. The two burly security men were pacing worriedly, around the platform like barely contained beasts. Leia gave three clicks on her comlink and it was amusing to see the relief pour from them as they received the signal and then spotted Leia in Mara's speeder.

"Someone's pleased to see you at any rate," gibed Mara.

"Everyone needs that kind of reception once in a while." Leia refused to rise to Mara's taunts. "I suppose _you_ get that all the time – beings pleased to see you?"

The redhead scowled as her comments failed to reach their target. Instead, the Alderaanian had got one back. "I neither want nor need that," she snapped.

"Everyone does at some point in his life," Leia disagreed softly.

"I am used to being alone and I like it that way," Mara retorted. She pulled back on the throttle reducing the vehicle's speed. "Is it because of your brother's chosen calling that you asked for Jedi artefacts to be found and brought to you on Coruscant?"

"Partly," Leia said feeling oddly sorry for the prickly red head. Leia knew all about loneliness especially after the destruction of Alderaan but it had taken Han and Luke to make her never want to be that way again. "It was originally Mon Mothma's idea. I think Luke must have said something to her before he left the Alliance about rebuilding the Jedi. He never said exactly what reason he gave Mon Mothma when resigning his commission but…she's said one or two things lately that have made me wonder…"

"If she knows about Skywalker being your brother?"

"No, I don't think she knew anything about that then…"

"You told her." Mara's lips curved with amused derision. "Didn't trust us not to blab to some holo-journalist?"

"No, not at all. It was the right time to tell her – we should have done it long ago." Leia wondered if Mara felt the half-truth of her words. "Luke will be happy to know that it's finally out in the open when he returns. I think Mon Mothma knew that I had the ability to feel and touch the Force. I suspect Luke said something along those lines and our relationship will give her the answer why."

"Oh." Mara said as she flew the speeder towards the quieter end of the busy platform where the two security guards were waiting and docked neatly. "Go ahead," she urged Leia. "I'll just hang on here a bit longer."

"You can come with me; it will be alright."

"Perhaps," Mara mumbled, a frown creasing her smooth brow. "But I don't want to show my hand just yet."

Leia frowned. That was a strange thing to say, more like the comment of a sabacc player than a trader but she could already see Karl and Chevin heading purposefully towards her and Han and Chewbacca leaping from another speeder.

"Your Highness…"

"Karl." Leia accepted the security guard's hand, stepping lightly onto the tethered skyhook being used as a docking platform.

Mara grabbed a small pocket reflector from her bag and checked her appearance. She looked like she always did, the pale oval of her creamy skin framed by her red-gold hair and dominated by her clear green eyes. She tightened the braid and placed a hat on her bright head. Now she didn't stand out so much. Why she needed to be careful, Mara wasn't sure but she wasn't about to change the habit of a lifetime.

Moving from the vessel, she headed in the general direction Leia had taken. The archaeologists had set up camp very quickly – almost as if they'd had some form of prior warning that the construction droids had been ready to move in and destroy any evidence. She paused at a table where a group of what had to be students, shielded under a white canopy, were sorting through various finds. Talking to them yielded insufficient information - they knew little more than she did.

Mara stretched out gingerly with her newly strengthened powers to see if those could help her. There was an instinctive need in her to understand. She could feel that there once had been great strength here, great strength and great sadness. Had Skywalker ever stood where Mara was standing now? She didn't think so. There had been rumours that he'd once been on Coruscant but he could not have known about the former location of the Jedi Temple.

The discovery of this site wasn't a great feat of mental deduction or detective work. The maps all measured up and the place still existed in people's living memories. This _had_ once been the site of the Jedi temple. What would her Master have thought? Would Palpatine be proud of her survival or disappointed in her failure to prevent the Rebellion from winning? Had she the strength to go on alone? Spirit was all very well but it left little room for doubt.

A hand grasped her firmly by the arm.

"Let go of me," Mara demanded softly, swinging around to square up to whoever had the temerity to manhandle her without her consent.

"You've no permission to be in this area," a gravely voice ordered.

"She's with me, Chevin," Leia's voice interrupted firmly. "She's a friend."

Mara opened her mouth to deny that such a thing could ever be possible but the guard's hand immediately fell from her arm as he backed away. "But security checks…"

"It will be fine," Leia insisted in a voice that brooked no arguments. "I will take responsibility for Mistress Jade's presence."

"My apologies, Your Highness, Mistress Jade."

"Hey, Red!" Han called jovially.

Mara threw him a look of dislike. "It's Jade," she said.

"Sure, Jade." Han winked at Leia who shook her head warningly at him. Mara's temper was easily sparked and now was not a good time to provoke it.

Mara ignored him and looked at Leia. "Were you right?"

"Yes," Leia said. "Doctor Folla Rule became the head of the Department of Antiquities at Coruscant University when the previous incumbent retired. But she's currently off-world dealing with another important project. I was told that she is expected to return tomorrow."

"A woman in charge," Han marvelled. "On Coruscant."

"Yes, it's actually possible," Mara said dryly. "But she's a _human_ female. You wouldn't find an alien male head of anything here yet, despite the new sitting tenants in the Imperial Palace."

"True," Han said thoughtfully, ignoring Mara's reference to the New Republic possibly being temporary on Coruscant.

"It is better than it used to be," Leia protested.

"It all takes time," Mara said.

Leia held Mara's eyes. "It does. But things get better… remember that."

'There must be a message somewhere in there for me,' Mara thought sourly. 'I'm no friend of Organa's and I still want to kill her brother.' But for a moment, being claimed as someone's 'friend' had been nice. She was definitely getting soft. Imperial assassins didn't normally run to 'nice'. "Sure," she said, her mouth twisting cynically.

Leia moved forward to a long table where several beings were cleaning and cataloguing finds.

It was easy for her to become an interested politician because she truly was fascinated with what had been found. Mara marvelled at Leia's skill in drawing information willingly from these beings without a torture grid or an interrogation droid. Of course, it helped to be the star heroine of the Rebel Alliance. But Mara was startled to find that Leia Organa really did care – it wasn't all an act.

"Doctor Rule - is she still head of the Department of Antiquities?" Leia quizzed brightly, diligently examining some of the objects unearthed. She knew the information already but such subjects were always good conversational gambits.

"That she is, gentle Highness."

"I remember her as a spokesperson for the department when I was a Junior Senator. She wasn't in charge then."

"Ah, before the war. It's good to have you back on this world, gentle Highness. Doctor Rule is at present working on another project somewhere in the Outer Rim territories." A worker imparted the information to Leia in broken but understandable basic. "Statue of Goddess Aleema found. Very rare, very precious metal. The site has been kept secret but she is bringing the statue to the university for study."

"Of course, I understand," Leia soothed. "To prevent it being looted and vandalised is reason enough to bring it here." That had happened to so many places during the Emperor's reign, with many precious things being stolen or damaged beyond repair. "In time it should be returned to where it came from."

"That it should, gentle Highness."

The New Republic was doing its best to return artefacts plundered by the Empire to their places of origin but it was proving to be an almost impossible task. "When is Doctor Rule returning?"

"We expect her within the next day or so. She was contacted as soon as we discovered the first find." He held up the remains of a gracefully shaped stone ewer. "Several hundred years old and typical of the style of domestic ware still used by the Jedi at the time of their…demise. It proved that even the Jedi had to eat and drink."

"They were beings of flesh and bone," Leia said, walking away, mulling over what she had learned.

Mara whispered in her ear. "The Goddess Aleema…"

"Never heard of her." Leia twisted her head sharply to stare at Mara.

The trader shrugged. "Of course not. The Goddess Aleema was one of the earliest of the Sith – a Sith Princess. She existed thousands of years ago…"

"What! A sith?"

"Yes, just like Darth Vader. It's doubtful the Viceroy of Alderaan would have included that snippet in your royal education."

Mara noted how Leia froze when Vader's name was mentioned. The Dark Lord had certainly had the princess and her friends in his clutches on more than one occasion but they'd always managed to escape. The Emperor had been furious and his Dark Lord had been punished. But Vader was dead and couldn't harm Leia any more. Of course, it may just have been an automatic reaction left over from her days in the Rebel Alliance. It was reported that Vader had interrogated and tortured Leia in his bid to discover the whereabouts of the Rebellion's hidden bases. He had failed.

Mara knew that Leia wasn't the only person to have weak spots. She, herself, also had one. It was hard not react when Skywalker's name came up in casual conversation.

"This is an enormous site, if it is the actual location of the Jedi Temple."

Mara heard Leia's words and rolled her eyes. "It is," she muttered. "You would think it was thousands of years ago that the temple was located in this very spot, not a mere two or three decades. There are those in the Senate that won't be very happy because there will be no demolition here now for many years to come and certainly no construction unless they can build above it. There won't be many things left to find either. I would suspect that the Emperor might have removed what he wanted to keep and torched the rest." She pulled out her data pad and handed it to Leia. "Check this out. This is what it once looked like if you didn't already know." With an exasperated sigh, Mara walked away leaving Leia staring at the structure so different from any other building on the planet, its five spires reaching majestically to the sky.

Mara knew that the Jedi Temple had been a spectacular piece of architecture on a vast and impressive scale. She'd seen holos and even detailed footage of the facility before Palpatine had had it destroyed. But the Emperor had told her of the corruptness at the heart of the Jedi order and of the evil deeds they had done. Mara had always kept a holo of the building to remind herself that evil lurked in many places. She'd had no reason to disbelieve the words of her Master. Why should she? But the confusion she was feeling was tearing at her unusually fragile nerves. This had to stop; she had to get a grip of herself. This was nothing in comparison with what she had done before.

But as Mara stared around her at the crumbling masonry, she sighed deeply. She didn't feel any evil in this place - only a deep lingering sadness, loss and a sense of something infinitely good. Ahead of her, the darkness of a long forgotten corridor called to her and she walked forward out of the sunlight as something scuttled away in the dark from her approaching footsteps. "Whoa!" she exclaimed as she nearly lost her footing on a crumbling step, grabbing the wall for support. Pulling out her pocket luma she held it up and surveyed the scene. A series of steps led downward into a small chamber. Something beckoned her downwards and, following her instincts, she carefully crept down the stairs.

This was the heart of the building. She couldn't explain why she knew. Mara reached out with her Force senses to see if she could learn some of the truth about the Jedi. Buildings and places often held resonances of the lives and feelings of beings that had inhabited the now disintegrating masonry. It was doubtful she would be able to learn anything new. She wasn't powerful enough nor had enough knowledge of the Jedi and their lives.

The Emperor had only allowed her to know what he wanted and she had originally thought that was everything she needed to know. Since his death, Mara had found out many other things and not everything matched what she had been told. Who was lying here? Deep down she knew the truth but didn't want to admit it. This had been a place of learning and of culture. This location had housed a school – she could almost see rows of small children studying ancient texts.

She held up the luma and assessed where she was. The chamber at one time must have led into a larger room but she would get no farther than this today. Pieces of smashed glass crunched under her feet. Mara knelt down and picked up what must have been part of a crystal holodisc. The Jedi couldn't all have been evil murderers. Some of them had to have been good people. She chewed at her lip. She would never have been able to discern such things before. "What did you do to me, Skywalker?" she whispered, "and why?"

Luke Skywalker did not fit the pattern that the Empire had printed on his behalf and Mara had to find out the truth for her own sanity. Her whole life could not have been a lie.

From nothing, she had started again; she had her new life away from her persona as the Emperor's Hand, working with Karrde and his people, trading along the space routes for a living. But something was drawing her in another direction and she wondered why? "I have a new life," she said aloud. "I'm a trader…"

"_This is not who you were born to be."_

From out of nowhere a figure shimmered into place before her and Mara's automatic reaction was to pull her blaster from its holster. "Who…what…? You're not real," she muttered.

The figure laughed. It was the shadowy image of a tall, bearded man, his long hair tied back, away from his face, dressed in a fashion she'd only seen in history books. He was dressed in the style of the Jedi. "_I'm real enough, but not in the way of other men." _His voice was low and cultured, with a hint of gravel in its depths. Was this a long dead Jedi? Her gut instinct told her that it had to be.

"I'm seeing things," Mara said a little desperately. Dreaming about Skywalker was bad enough but this…. She'd never experienced anything like this when she'd served the Emperor. "I'm having a conversation with a bad hologram.

"_No, you're not imagining my presence. I am no hologram but I have been one with the Force these past fifty years. This building has had a long association with the Jedi and the Force and because of it you should be able to feel my presence."_

"You are dead?"

"_Depends on your point of view. I am more powerful now in this state than I ever was alive. I have been assigned to watch over you…"_

"I don't need watching over," Mara growled between clenched teeth.

"_You are strong in the Force, Mistress. Reach out…"_

"So you are dead," Mara stated flatly. "Who are you and why appear now…to me?"

The figure chuckled, the sound warm in the darkness. "_Why not? Your presence called me – you called me."_

"I did not," she contradicted.

"_No? You needed me otherwise I would not have appeared to you."_

"I have no love for the Jedi. I am not a Jedi."

"_Not yet but you must be trained in the way of the Force."_

"Suppose I don't want to be trained? The Jedi hold no appeal for me."

"_I think that they do. I suspect you are denying what your soul has craved its entire life for."_

First Karrde and then Leia Organa and now this dead…Jedi master. The Emperor had never talked of her being trained in the Jedi arts – not properly. She'd been given enough knowledge to be able to serve her Master and had been content. An unpleasant thought suddenly struck her. Palpatine hadn't wanted her to progress any further, had he? Perhaps, she did not have the ability.

"_You should be trained – you could be powerful. Such power is a gift and must be used in the way that serves the Force. Can you sense me at all?"_

Mara nodded. "Yes, I can." The feeling was warm and tranquil, like standing in a pool of sunlight. She'd felt like that when she'd touched Skywalker too. Palpatine had felt powerful but cold. Surely her Master could not have been mistaken about her ability.

"_During the days of the Old_ _Republic_ _you would have been identified early in your life_ as Force strong. I_f you had lived in the Core, you would have been brought to the temple for training."_

"Who are you?" Mara asked curiously.

"_Qui-Gon Jinn." _The Jedi inclined his head politely

"I've never heard of you," Mara said a little unkindly.

"_I did not expect that you would have. Emperor Palpatine wanted to rid the galaxy of the Jedi, not encourage their names to live on long after their deaths. I was important enough in my time. And you are?"_

"Mara Jade," she muttered brusquely. "How did you…?"

"_How did I die?"_ The spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn sighed, his noble face full of regret. "_I died at the hands of a Sith – a being strong in the dark side of the Jedi arts. I was protecting a young Queen and her people from evil when I was murdered. I gave my life to serve others." _

"Good for you," Mara retorted. "I'm sure you succeeded. Now go away."

Qui-Gon ignored her. "_We did not know this was the start of Senator Palpatine's bid for power. He clouded the truth from the most powerful of the Jedi. The Sith had waited many thousands of years for their chance."_

"The Jedi were proud and corrupt…"

The spirit shook his head sadly_. "No, not knowingly. They made mistakes and perhaps pride was part of their fall but it was the Old_ _Republic_ _that had become corrupt. Palpatine was corruptness itself and fed upon the weaknesses of others. The Jedi seek to do good. We were the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy."_

"This has nothing to do with me. I'm just a trader," Mara said shortly.

"_You don't understand your importance. You have the power to help. Let go of your hate, learn to live in the new galaxy that's been created. You have been chosen."_

"Oh, no," Mara said backing away. "I'm not falling for that one."

"_Whether you fall for it or not, the facts will not change. You have been done a great wrong in your life. You have been told many lies, betrayed by people you should have been able to trust_. Skywalker's son will give you new purpose."

Mara groaned, her voice low and mocking. "And I thought you were a dead Jedi, not a therapist. I don't believe you."

"_Why should I lie?"_ Qui-Gon asked. "_I have no reason and nothing to gain."_

"The resurgence of the Jedi?" Mara arched a red-gold eyebrow.

"_I am one with the Force. I still have nothing to gain,"_ he stated, his voice warm in the dark coolness. "_Nothing will bring me back."_

"You would still see the Jedi rise again. Dead or not. That's a good enough reason in my holobook."

"_Be mindful of the living Force."_

Mara turned away. She'd had enough of this fuzzy image spouting meaningless words in her direction. Then a thought struck her. "What happened to the Sith that killed you?"

"_My apprentice was nearing his knighthood; a powerful young man by the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi…"_

"Kenobi!" Mara echoed. "I've heard of him."

"_Yes. He killed the Sith..." _

"He was Skywalker's first teacher."

"_I wanted to train the boy; I told the council I would do it even though they were uncertain of his future. It was clouded. He felt much fear and there was anger in him but he was the Chosen_ _One and powerful with the Force. I died too soon and ultimately deserted Obi-Wan and the boy. It was not by choice. I could have prevented his fall if I had lived."_

Mara frowned. Something didn't add up. How could this Qui-Gon Jinn have managed to train Skywalker? If he'd been dead for fifty years there was no possibility of that happening.

"_Behind you, there is a holocube and a small box. They are embedded into the wall. Take them."_

"Why?"

"_They cannot remain here for just anyone to find – in the wrong hands they could be… You must deliver them to Skywalker's son. He will know what to do with them. Learn to use the Force, Mistress Jade. It is your right and your destiny. One that Palpatine stole from you." _

"Yeah, sure," Mara drawled cynically. "Can I ask you…?"

"_My time here is over. May the Force be with you."_

"But…"

As silently as he'd arrived, the presence vanished and Mara suddenly felt cold.

"Skywalker's son! But…" Mara exhaled loudly. Something else Organa hadn't told her? There was no point talking to herself. She pulled a small vibroshiv from one of her black, knee length boots and began digging into the crumbling walls at the exact point Qui-Gon Jinn had indicated. "Cortosis Ore," she mumbled, as she hacked through the walls. "No wonder this place went down." She replaced the knife in her boot and dug her fingers into the disintegrating masonry and as she did so she suddenly she felt a streak of warmth run through her. There was, as the Jedi had said, something embedded in the wall.

Her fingers closed around the object and gave a sharp twist, dragging it free. Again she reached in and found another small cube shaped item. Just in time, she shoved them into her pockets as awareness of her surroundings flared into life. Someone was coming. She could actually feel the presence of a…a human being.

Footsteps clattered down the stairs behind her. "What are you doing down here?"

"I got a bit lost!"

"You have no permission to be in this area." A figure peered at her in the gloom. Mara could see his fingers clamped around a powerful looking blaster. "This area is off-limits. Only official personnel are allowed down here. It's not been made safe."

"There are no warning signs," Mara said indignantly. "How was I supposed to know? I was just looking around. I came with Princess Leia Organa," Mara simpered sweetly and tried not to gag as a result of her own sugary tone. "I love old things. It must be so interesting. I just hadn't expected it to be so dark down here. Where is the way out and why are there no lights?" she babbled inanely. "Didn't they have lights during the Old Republic?"

"This way, lady." The man's voice was gruff and his grip on her arm tightened as he hustled her up the steps. Mara resisted the urge to damage the man permanently. This was the second time someone had grabbed her by the arm in less than an hour. A couple of quick jabs in the right place and this individual would have trouble walking and performing other bodily functions for the next year.

"Could you not hold my arm so tightly?" she pleaded, but the tall security guard didn't oblige until they emerged into the sunlight again. It wasn't Karl or Chevin either but a tall human dressed in the university's own uniform. Mara suspected that she might have bruises on her upper arm tomorrow. If they ever met again, he would know the meaning of tight and would have a set of bruises to make anyone proud.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"I hadn't expected it to be so busy," Han murmured into Leia's ear.

"It's made the headline holonet news. There's little happening galactically speaking…"

"What about the new world petitioning to join the New Republic?" Han said with a smirk.

"Another new world?" Leia said. "It's not news anymore. It's a common occurrence. This is different and I think it gave the university the opportunity to angle for a little more publicity. Call me cynical but such manoeuvres never harm applications for funding. Coruscant does need housing and add the discovery of the Jedi temple to the mix…"

"And we have a ready made battle."

"Yes."

"Where's Jade got to?" Han asked, staring around the platform.

"She's around here somewhere," Leia replied, glancing over her shoulder but there was no sign of Mara.

"You trust her?" Han asked laconically.

"Yes, I do. I have a strong feeling that there's someone else under all that ice and hostility. We don't know what has made her like this."

"Yes, we do," Han said. "The Empire did."

Leia's beautiful face was pensive. "I suppose you're right. The Empire made us all what we are."

"Yes, but some of us are choosing to move on with our lives and try to make a difference."

"Give her time."

"Her life will be over if she takes any more time."

Leia winked at him. "You'll be running for the Senate next if you keep making statements like that one."

"Aw, Leia!"

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

After shaking off the security guard, Mara moved to where a small hut had been erected selling refreshments to workers and visitors alike. Buying herself a stim tea, she stood quietly watching the proceedings. She found that she often learned just as much by watching events carefully. She was just about to return to Leia and Han, to tell them she was leaving the site, when a covered speeder arrived causing much commotion.

"Doctor Rule," a voice cried and visitors, workers and holo-journalists ran to await the arrival of the foremost xenoarchaeologist on Coruscant.

"She is early, this is marvellous news," said a small man excitedly. "Now the site will be protected. Doctor Rule will make it so."

The hatch lifted and out stepped a tall, slender woman, wearing a practical dark tunic and pants, her dark hair coiled tightly behind her head. 'So this was Folla Rule,' Mara thought and shivered, layers buckling in the Force. "Thanks, Skywalker," she muttered, suddenly grateful for the young Jedi opening her once more to the power of the Force. It was definitely time to get out of here. Quickly she turned and headed for her speeder unaware that her sudden move had been spotted, dark eyes following her flight with cold interest.

"Who was that?" Folla Rule asked her aide thoughtfully as she watched the air speeder leave the docking platform and disappear into Coruscant's traffic. It would have to be looked into.

"Don't know. We have had so many beings arriving. Journalists, tourists, politicians…" The aide shrugged. Several air speeders had left in the past few minutes and Doctor Rule wanted to know who was in them? She would be lucky. "It could be anyone and we have no real way of checking."

"Find a way," the doctor directed, her manner glacial. "It is a threat to our security. "I don't need items to go missing on this world also."

"Yes, Doctor Rule."

Folla Rule watched the bustling scene with satisfied eyes. Once they'd had the chance to strip the site bare, the construction droids could move in but they didn't have a lot of time. Still, she could see that there was plenty of publicity, enough for even her starved soul. "I will do my interview and then we restrict access to press and public alike - leave them wanting more." She walked forward, a smile on her face, ready to talk to the galaxy and found that her place was usurped. "Politicians?" She swung around and stared at her aide. "This woman is more than a politician."

The aide nodded. "They arrived a couple of hours ago. It's…"

"Yes, I do know who they are. I see that Princess Leia Organa and General Han Solo have graced us with their presence."

"They seem to be very well informed," he murmured nervously.

"They do, do they? Interesting," Folla snapped, her irritation rising. This was her moment. She frowned and the aide nervously shifted from side to side. "It could help us get more time to work on this site," she then drawled thoughtfully. "These construction droids are not going to vanish. Yes, this is good for us." But inside she was angry, her good mood darkening. Yes, this kind of patronage made the whole galaxy take notice but when the politician in question was as important as Leia Organa, then she overshadowed everyone else. How could she turn this to her advantage? That was the question. She flashed her most winning smile towards the waiting holo-journalists and glided forward, her hand outstretched towards the princess. It was time to use their celebrity to further promote her own.

Leia stared at the approaching archaeologist. She was just as Leia remembered her - a little older perhaps, but still elegant. 'An intelligent woman and not one to underestimate,' she thought. There was just something about the other woman that made her momentarily uneasy and then the strange feeling was gone.

"Sweetheart!" Han muttered. "Jade's just flown out of here as if the Imperial Guard was after her."

"She didn't say goodbye," Leia murmured.

"That would have indicated a modicum of interest and friendliness towards another being, plus manners," Han observed. "But then Jade's manners have been patchy at best since we met her."

"I thought I was getting through to her. I like her, Han – most of the time."

"When she'd not spouting off about killing the Kid? Yeah, I agree. So what spooked her this time?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." She dug Han in the ribs. "Smile and be charming. Doctor Rule is heading our way."

"I was born charming," Han retorted.

"I know and that's what worries me." She winked at him.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_


	18. Chapter 18

**Out of the Shadows 18**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title and also for Michele for taking the time to read.

**Osarian – Expansion region – Two months previously**

The sun dipped low, finally disappearing behind the hills above the small, drab mining town of Osar. The figure watching from a hidden vantage point could see everything, waiting for night to fall with a mingled sense of satisfaction and anticipation. Night hid many things; the darkness had always been a friend as the Force revealed all.

It was time.

The family were sitting down for their plain but filling evening meal when their grandmother, a tiny, aged woman, began muttering quietly to herself. Her mind had been gone for many years and, for most of the time, they paid no attention to her as she wandered in and out of her dwindling lucidity. But she'd been strangely quiet lately - had hardly said anything for weeks. Indeed, most of the sounds she'd uttered in the past few months hadn't been words at all but strange, infantile gibberish. It was as if she'd lost the power of coherent speech and had regressed to the skills and the dependency of a tiny baby. She sat now in her usual corner near the fire and rocked back and fore, her arms wrapped around her own feeble body, her hands clutching at her clothes as if to ward off something she had no protection against.

"Danger… Frightened?"

The words emerged slowly and quietly at first; her voice rough and hoarse with lack of use and the family, sitting around the table concentrating on finishing their meal, ignored her. It was actually a few minutes before they'd registered that she'd said something they could all understand.

"Danger… Frightened? Must leave…must hide."

"What is it, mother?" the man, a mine worker by the name of Gurun, said impatiently. But the old lady ignored him, continuing to rock, her moaning and muttering becoming louder and louder. "You deal with her," he said helplessly, looking towards his wife. "She won't do anything for me."

"Go, all of you." The old lady's voice was surprisingly strong. "I…" She pointed her thumb at her chest. "I, Kehta, will protect my…"

"Ssh! Mother." Gurun's wife left the table and placed a thick woollen blanket over the old lady's knees. "Is that better?" she asked, not expecting an answer. But she was surprised this time.

"No." Kehta stared up at her daughter-in-law, her faded grey eyes wide and fearful. "It's not better. Too late for me it is. Danger…"

"There's nothing to harm you here," Gidrone soothed, shaking her head warningly at her husband, the unspoken message clear. "You're safe with us," she murmured and returned to her meal but the old lady continued to mumble, the words becoming ever more frantic.

"What now?" He shrugged helplessly, his hands outstretched towards the rest of the family. He hated to see her like this. "Where's her medicine?"

"We're out of it. There's no way we can afford to buy more, not until next moon's waxing," his wife answered sadly. "She's been so placid these past months – hasn't needed it - but today she's very restless. There's something in the wind. She always knows."

"Gidrone…" Gurun said warningly.

"She's right. I know she is. I can feel it too," their son interrupted quietly. He'd been standing at the window of the small house staring out at the darkening sky.

"Ssh! Don't talk that way."

"Why not?"

Gurun fidgeted in his seat. "If you were heard…"

"I can talk how I like. The Emperor is dead, father." He looked worriedly over at the little old lady. She'd brought him up during the times that both of his parents had worked full-time at the mine and they had once been very close emotionally. She had always understood him even when his own mother had not. "There is a sense of something coming closer," he said, shivering a little which was odd as the climate was temperate and it had been unusually warm that day. But he'd felt the cold snaking through his bones.

His grandmother had always had the reputation of being a little strange in their small town. Being different, standing out was not wise during the period of Imperial occupation because the attention it brought you was not always the welcome kind. But no one had ever denounced her to their Imperial rulers. She'd listened to their troubles and watched over them when they were sick and the townspeople respected her for that. She'd always been the first on the scene at a crisis. When he'd been a small boy she'd told him extraordinary stories of many worlds and the evil that found you no matter how hard you tried to hide and the special powers of people who could help. She always knew what the weather would be or if the crops would grow to a good harvest. She was always right.

Gurun observed his son closely. Kelt was more like her than either Gidrone or himself and it worried him. His father had laughed off his wife's fey behaviour but sometimes, Gurun had seen a fearful look in his father's eyes. He'd never understood why but over the years he had learned to fear for her too. Once, he'd overheard a conversation which implied that his grandparents had been running from something or someone. To his knowledge, they'd lived in this town all of their lives. He didn't believe that his ordinary family would be targets - it sounded too bizarre. Who would want to harm them? But their strangely cautious habits had caught on and became ingrained. The family were part of the community but were not central to it and were not over familiar with strangers.

"Stop frightening the boy, Kehta," Gurun's father had once said. "Do you want to be taken in for questioning?"

"I'm trying to warn him…teach him."

"He hasn't been gifted with your particular curse. Leave him be. Please, if you value his life as I value yours. This is not his fight." And he'd been right. Gurun had not the uncanny foreknowledge that his mother had.

Kehta had known when her husband had been killed in a freak accident at the factory. Gurun would swear that she knew the exact moment that it had happened. When the men had brought his body home, her tears had already dried from her face and she was waiting for her love for the very last time with a calm acceptance that had frightened him.

Gurun had said exactly the same thing to his mother as his father had said when she'd tried to teach his son, Kelt, her…ways. It hadn't mattered to Gurun, that she'd ceased telling him her tales because he didn't see things the way his mother and his son did. The mysterious abilities they possessed had passed him by and he was glad of it. Some people might call him dull but he was a good husband and father and made a steady living for his family. They had survived when others had not.

"You know I don't like to hear such talk. Leave him be, mother. The less he knows about such things, the safer he'll be."

His mother had never talked to Kelt of her ways in his hearing after he had taken her to task but he suspected she did so when he wasn't around. He'd often come across them whispering and laughing together, sharing things he could take no part in. He suspected that when Kelt reached his age of majority she might have been more open and defied his rules. But just as Kelt reached adulthood her mind began to wander. Things that happened long ago in her past were more real to her than yesterday. The day she no longer recognised Gurun as her only son upset him more than he'd ever expected it to. She was no longer the strong woman who had dragged him into adulthood on this nothing of a planet. He was now the adult and she the child. How he wished that this hadn't happened to her, that she was still in her right mind. She didn't deserve such a fate.

"Danger…hide. The dark…" The gnarled and shaking hands moved to cover the old woman's wrinkled face, her grey eyes bright with fear.

"Grandmother!" The young man knelt before her clutching her hands in his own. "You are safe here. We won't let anything happen to you." He looked up at his father and mother. "We must reassure her."

Then suddenly again, the unexpected gleam of lucidity replaced the cloudy vagueness. "Kelt?" She stared at the three faces. "Gurun, my son, and Gidrone. You've been a good daughter to me. Blessed me with a grandson strong in the Force."

The family stared at each other in consternation. She hadn't recognised any of them for months, possibly even years; it was difficult to tell.

"The Force is strong…" the old lady murmured, one hand moving to cover the young man's cheek, caressing it lightly, the other tangling in his thick, dark curls. "I promised to keep you a secret." Her shaking fingers waved vaguely in the air. "Box…"

"Box! What box…oh, your workbox." Kelt looked around for the sewing box she never touched but couldn't bear to be parted from.

"Get," she ordered, a long-forgotten hint of durasteel in her voice.

"It's beside you, Grandmama. It's always been by your side." Kelt glanced at his parents. His grandmother had been loving and gentle but so strong inside. He had always recognised that about her.

"False bottom…underneath." Her voice was a mere wisp of sound. The Force had granted her this boon, this awareness of her rightful mind. "Hurry," she urged. "Danger. You must hide – all of you."

"Don't be ridiculous, mother. Why should we hide?" Gurun knew that this was another symptom of her age and her fading mind – this paranoia. Still, she'd not been this coherent for a long time, not since long before Kelt had started working in the mine with his father six years ago. He wondered if he should try asking her the stupid questions the doctors always asked but knew it would be a waste of time.

Kelt opened the box and removed pieces of fabric, the sewing unfinished and the stitches uneven. "I could never be a traditional wife," Kehta whispered. "I loved him and I tried to be a good wife for him. It never really worked. We were happy…_he_ was happy and I was content," she concluded wistfully. "Yes, I was content."

Kelt continued to delve and brought out coloured threads and cutting implements and then the box was empty…or was it? A sense of anticipation turned his stomach into knots.

"Lift," the old lady instructed and Kelt could see that the workbox did indeed have a false bottom. She was hiding something in there. He pulled out a vibro-blade and carefully sliced around the base.

Out fell a silver cylinder and a couple of data cards. "What is that?" asked Kelt, his eyes widening. He felt a need to pick it up, touch its smooth surface.

"Once it was my life," she said sadly. "And now it will be yours."

Kelt found that curving his hand around the hilt was an intensely satisfying feeling. He found the switch and carefully thumbed it on. With a satisfying hiss, the humming blade of silvery white sprang into life after nearly twenty five years of lying dormant.

"Yes," the old lady hissed, satisfaction lighting her features. "Lightsaber. Mine it was and now I give it to you."

"A lightsaber. You were a Jedi Knight?" Kelt stared at his grandmother and then at his father who looked as astounded as he felt. "How…I mean why?"

"Find the young Jedi Master, Kelt. He will teach you the ways of the Force. Give him these. He will need to find those still in hiding. Now you need to leave here – all of you."

Kelt shut down the saber, automatically attaching it to his belt in the way Jedi had done for thousands of years, and pocketed the data cards. "Why?"

"Just a feeling…" The old lady's voice tailed off and he could see the alertness fade from her eyes. Her hands began clutching at her clothes and she rocked her body back and fore. "Danger," she mumbled and began to weep. "Hide. Find the young Jedi."

"We'd better do as she says," Kelt said firmly.

"She's delusional, Kelt," Gidrone said sadly. "Her mind is in the past."

"No, not just then," Kelt retorted, upset at his grandmother's distress. "She knew what she was saying. Something warned her. I sense it, too – something dark. Get your things together. It wouldn't hurt to go away for a day or two. We can always come back. Treat it like a holiday to celebrate my promotion."

"I don't know, Kelt," his mother said. "I suppose it wouldn't do any harm. We'll think about it."

"Think quickly. It sounded urgent to me." He shook his head at his parents and left the room going outside to one of the huts they kept for their domestic animals. His mother and father just didn't understand the way that he did. The first thing he wanted to do was examine the lightsaber and he needed to be alone. His grandmother had been a Jedi? He could be a Jedi too? It was difficult to imagine the confused old lady as a knight of the Jedi order, seeing her the way she was now. It was almost as impossible to think that _he_ could be a Jedi Knight. He supervised the cleaning of the mining equipment at the factory. Not exactly the stuff that legends were made of. Where did one go to learn the skills required? His grandmother had told him that the Empire had hunted and persecuted the Jedi until there were virtually none of them left alive. His grandmother could have taught him once and Kelt was sure now that she had meant to do so.

Kelt grasped the hilt firmly, thumbed on the weapon and watched awe-struck as a silvery white blade extended to just over a metre in length. He waved it around enjoying the sweet humming sound it made as it swished through the air. It felt right in his hands. The young man grinned broadly and shut down the weapon. He had to try and see if his grandmother was capable of saying anything else. He had to find out more.

"I'm sorry," he apologised to the small native yakkara that his parents kept to provide milk for the family. "I hope I didn't upset you waving the lightsaber around." The animal tossed her head and let out a small whinny before burying its head inside the feeding station. Kelt smiled but suddenly he stopped, the cold spreading through his bones again. This time it was more urgent and the reason for the feeling was…here.

A strange sound filtered through the night as he exited the shed. 'Wait!' he thought. 'What was that? It sounded like…' He began to run back towards the dwelling, his limbs heavy, dread tightening his face.

'_Kelt! Stay where you are. Please.'_

"Grandmother!"

'_It's too late…for…me.'_

'Stay outside,' he thought. 'Don't go inside the house.' His grandmother had been right. There was danger out in the darkness but it had suddenly reached closer to home. 'My parents are in…' He flattened himself against the wall and peered in through the window. The sight that met his eyes made him want to retch. "No!" he whispered and collapsed onto the ground, the breath squeezed from his lungs.

He had no sooner left the house when a dark-clad figure had burst into the room and began spraying the room with blaster fire. His parents and his grandmother had died almost instantly. They had no time to run or even defend themselves. But the Force had granted Kehta enough time to warn Kelt and that had saved his life.

He had managed to stop from giving himself away, his gasp of pain and anguish staying frozen in his burning throat as he watched the cloaked figure ransack the house, searching for something, and then leave empty handed. His parents and grandmother lay covered in blood, their eyes wide and staring.

Kelt could feel the dark coldness surrounding this deed, even though he didn't yet know why he was able to feel that way. He had immediately contacted the constabulary and had even spent a night in a cell before it had been quickly established he was not to blame. How could he harm them? He'd lived all his life in this town with his parents. He'd loved them and now they were gone – he was on his own. The brutality of the killing had shocked the community and no one could fathom the reason for it.

Someone had been looking for something but whether they had found what they'd sought was anyone's guess. Kelt did not mention the existence of the lightsaber or the data cards his grandmother had hidden for over twenty years. Perhaps he should have done so, but he wasn't ready to face the fact that his family had been killed because of an order that no longer existed. Doing so might bring the same unwelcome attention upon himself.

Numb with shock, Kelt had, with the help of his parents' few close friends, dealt with their burials. He had returned to his job at the mine but his heart was no longer in it, if it ever had been. His decision made, he arranged for the selling of the family property and finally, after packing a small holdall with the things he wanted to keep and retrieving the lightsaber from where he'd hidden it in the yakkara's hut, he set off for the spaceport. He had to find this young Jedi Knight his grandmother had spoken of before her death. The safe and steady life he had been living wasn't enough for him any more. He didn't belong in Osar now. Perhaps he could get a lift on one of the freighters away from Osarian…perhaps the domestic shuttle to Rhommamool would take him to the space station there. He had no idea where he had to go but he would trust to luck. He paused then and frowned. His grandmother had once said that there was no such thing as luck when she'd talked about the Force. Perhaps he would have to trust to that.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Dagobah – present time**

With a deep sigh of contentment, Luke landed his x-wing in its usual clearing. He hadn't wanted to go off-world on this occasion but the vision he'd had called him to leave and search for some more Jedi artefacts. Luke knew that if he hadn't left at that particular time then someone else would have picked them up. He hadn't found much - a few books and a couple of holodiscs – but it was enough to help him with his research. The things were better with him than languishing in a vault or in a locked cupboard in some dusty library. He was aware that Leia had others searching on his behalf back on Coruscant but that didn't really count. He wasn't the only being out there after such items and that worried him because some of them knew what the treasures could do. There were many objects with dangerous powers hidden away throughout the galaxy. The Emperor may have been killed but that did not mean that the Sith were gone forever. The dark side always waited in the shadows, biding its time, waiting for a weakness to exploit.

He was building up quite a collection of data discs and information but all the learning and information in the galaxy could not make the Jedi rise again without suitable candidates and a place to train them. Yoda, Mace Windu and Obi-Wan had done what they could to safeguard any surviving Jedi and families with a history of regularly producing Force strong children but it was up to him to find them again. Yoda was convinced that a registry of such children had been kept safe from the Emperor. Luke had learned, to his amazement, that Yoda wasn't always right but in this case, he believed him.

Luke jumped lightly from his X-wing to find Artoo waiting for him. He hadn't taken the little astromech droid with him on his trip this time as he'd felt that someone needed to be here to watch over Yoda. "How is he?"

The little droid gave a plaintive beep.

"Just the same? I suppose that's all we can hope for. Has he eaten at all?"

Artoo whirred softly.

"He's slept most of the time," Luke translated. "I suppose that's something. I'll go and see him and make certain that he eats something. He has to keep up his strength."

The little droid whistled.

Luke rubbed his hand across his smooth chin. "Yes, Artoo. I did have a shave and a proper haircut. Your point being?"

The droid made a derogatory noise and rolled away.

"Artoo, I am not vain about my appearance."

The droid hooted disdainfully.

"Yes, it was 'about time'. But Han was more concerned with how he looked than I was, especially when Leia called him 'scruffy.' No one bothers what I look like, Artoo. Leia would like it if I looked older but I can't see what good that might do. Yes, wisdom is not an instantaneous gift – it has to be earned." Luke's glance at the little astromech was amused. "You've been spending far too much time with Master Yoda, little fella."

Luke moved away from the droid, a tired smile crossing his face and then he stopped, his face whitening, his smile vanishing, as something horrible slithered through the layers of the Force he was now so attuned with. He felt sick to his stomach. Something dark and evil had just happened. He hoped Master Yoda hadn't experienced this – it would not be good for his condition. Luke swallowed, his whole body shaking.

Artoo watched his master carefully and carefully monitored his vital signs. Something was wrong.

Luke leant against the trunk of a giant gnarl-tree and got himself under control. This reminded him of how Obi-Wan had acted when the Death Star has destroyed Alderaan. His face whitened again. It wasn't something like that, was it? It couldn't be. He reached out into the galaxy and began to search as best he could. The young Jedi wondered if he would feel the galaxy's pain when it happened. Surely no one could stand to endure that fate.

Nothing… there was nothing…and then he felt it again – a little pocket of pain. No, it wasn't another Alderaan but someone's safe little world had just collapsed around them with just as much devastation and that person was Force-strong and had unconsciously called out for help.

It was confirmation of what Luke already knew. He was not alone in the galaxy. There were others. It was time he rejoined the real world again. Luke knew that there were people out there who needed him. Yes, he missed his friends and his family and had grown to enjoy his solitude but not at the expense of aiding another to ease his pain. Dev Sibwarra was long gone but Luke finally could admit to himself that he had helped him in the end.

He rubbed his hands across his face and decided to try and see if it was possible to reach the woman again. Mara - her name was Mara. He knew it and should use it when he thought of her. He wanted to think about her all the time, far more than he should. Making her more anonymous in his own mind was perhaps a good thing. But he couldn't resist the search, the layers of the Force spinning him across billions of worlds until he found her, bright shining and beautifully cold. She would come to him soon and he would have to make preparations to deal with the brand of anger she kept about herself like a protective shield.

He would finish his holo to Leia after he had checked on Master Yoda and seen for himself how he was faring.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Coruscant**

Back at her apartment, an uneasy Mara paced around her lounge, until she had made a decision. She had to leave Coruscant and quickly. Something was happening here that she hadn't expected. It wasn't right, whatever it was, but Mara knew that she couldn't deal with this alone. She had to find the only one who could help her. How soon would it be before it was discovered that she'd taken something from the site? How could she explain to the arresting agent that the spectre of a dead Jedi Master had told her to take the items and give them to the son of a man no-one, apart from herself, had seen in over three years?

She pulled the objects out of her pockets. One of them looked like a data cube of some description and the other? She had no idea. Both items were covered in lumps of cortosis ore and would have to be thoroughly cleaned. The data cube resembled a small box and it was difficult to tell what the true shape of the other object was. But she hadn't time to do anything with them right now. She had to give them to the son of Skywalker, whoever that was. The Emperor would not have been happy to hear that the Jedi had started breeding. Yes, she had to admit that the holos of him showed that he was a handsome man but… What kind of a woman fell for someone like that?

Luke Skywalker had not, in her opinion, had much opportunity to father any children – none of the rebel leadership had. Any son of Skywalker would still be a young child unless…Then she snorted and could have hit herself for being so dense. She wasn't normally so slow on the uptake. This Qui-Gon was most probably long dead; perhaps the Skywalker _he_ had known was a relative of the current one. Skywalker's son was in fact the galaxy's sole Jedi and Organa's brother. The twins had been raised apart to keep them safe from Palpatine, especially if their father had been a Jedi who had died in the purges. They might even have been her companions at the palace had they been discovered while children. It was an unsettling thought.

She felt a delicate touch as if someone had just reached out towards her. It was like a warm feeling of light and security. It wasn't the kind of feeling she was used to. It reminded her of her brush with the Jedi on Druckenwell. It couldn't be Skywalker, not if he was so far away – could it? She had been able to communicate with the Emperor anywhere in the galaxy but Skywalker surely wasn't that powerful. He had needed Vader's help to kill her Master.

She clenched her hands into fists wondering if her Master had sensed Vader's final betrayal. How could the Dark Lord of the Sith have done such a thing? Was there no such thing as loyalty in his cowardly black heart? Palpatine had known of Vader's earlier offer to Skywalker on Bespin, which the young man had refused. At some point he must have changed his mind. When pressed for an explanation, Vader had confirmed his desire to bring the young Jedi to Palpatine. Mara hadn't believed it either.

Quickly, Mara packed her belongings and, calling one of the droids Karrde had left for her use whilst on Coruscant, sent it to the ship she was currently using – _The Lucky Strike_ - and began to get changed, ready for a long journey. She had little more than twenty-four hours to get off world. Dagobah and the presence of Luke Skywalker were calling to her.

She had some things to do before she could leave. Leia Organa would hopefully thank her one day – not that she was looking for thanks. But she might let the Jedi live a bit longer.

Mara had a hunch regarding the whereabouts of the mysterious Dagobah. Her instinct told her it was probably in the Outer Rim away from the Core and the heart of what had once been Palpatine's Empire. Mara had met Skywalker on Druckenwell. Leia had suspected that her brother had visited Praesitlyn. Mara wondered if Dagobah was somewhere in between. It had definitely to be in that sector of space. Much of it was still unexplored or damned impossible to get to in a hurry – perfect for a Jedi who did not want to be found. There were always the recognised trade and shipping routes that could take her quickly to the outer reaches of the galaxy and then it could take some time to find what she was looking for. Somewhere between the Corellian Way and the point where the Hydian Way intersected with the Rimma Trade Route lay the planet Dagobah. It was still a hell of a lot of galaxy to cover but it narrowed down her choices.

It was time to check the holo-star charts. But not the ones that the New Republic were using or even the ones that the Empire had used. She knew that Karrde had the most up-to-date, top-of-the-range holo-map equipment and it was no help at all. It was as if this place had been wiped from existence – which it probably had. But Leia Organa was so sure that this was where Skywalker was and Mara knew a location which had, at one time, contained hand-written maps of great age. After Palpatine had died, these precious pieces of parchment had been handed over to the university to study and catalogue, some of them dating from the earliest years of hyperspace travel. The problem was how to gain access?

The University of Coruscant's Department of Cartology and Exploration had to have maps dating back for millennia as well as Palpatine's treasures. Some of these maps were more decorative than accurate. Use them today and she'd probably find herself in the middle of a black hole. Or she could ask Organa for clearance to use the computers in the Imperial Palace. Undoubtedly her access codes would still work but again, that would let the Alderaanian woman know that Mara had not been what she appeared to be and she might ask for more information than Mara was willing to give. Not that Leia Organa was fooled by Mara's current occupation at all and she knew it. She'd given away too much.

She flipped open her comlink. The _Wild Karrde _didn't leave until tomorrow so she still had time. "Buzzy!"

"Yep!" He was a man of few words.

"I need a couple of fake I.D's."

"Send me the details and I'll get back to you."

"How quick can you do it?"

"Pretty quick."

"Today?" Mara queried.

"What do you think I am, Jade?" he barked at her.

"The best," Mara answered, smiling.

"Well then," he said, sounding mollified. "I should think I could do it today."

"How soon today?"

"An hour or two?"

"Perfect. You _are_ the best. Sending through the details." Mara closed the link. This was better than she had hoped for. Buzzy was a superb forger. Karrde only worked with the finest craftsmen.

She moved to her computer and began sending some details through of the kind of identity she needed to become. Buzzy had an instinctive gift for picking the most suitable aliases. True to the details Mara found a black wig and pulled it over her not-inconsiderable amount of red-gold hair. The effect was startling. Her green eyes shone brightly against the black hair and her creamy skin. The word was alluring.

He was true to his word. An hour later a courier arrived from the _Wild Karrde _with the required documents and an hour after that, Doctor Sesil Stratholm, the newly appointed head from an obscure university on the planet of Rhinnal, arrived for a scheduled conference with Professor Xux Chan.

The graduate student serving as the Professor's assistant cleared his throat loudly. "Professor Chan, a young woman has just arrived to see you. She says you have an appointment."

The elderly man raised his head from the fragile, hand-written map he was studying, his grey, wispy hair standing on end. "I have no appointment with anyone today."

Mara was ready for that. She walked straight past the nervous looking graduate student and stood before him, holding out her hand. "Doctor Sesil Stratholm from the University of Rhinnal. I am most honoured to meet you as I'm familiar with most of your work." She looked down at the map and smiled. "Very nice example. One of the earliest hyperspace route maps?"

Professor Chan frowned. He didn't like to be interrupted unless it was by something important. "Yes," he said shortly.

"I'm sorry to intrude," Mara apologised with her most charming smile. "I've just accepted the vacant chair; the department's terribly run down. I knew that you were the foremost scholar in this field and I had to come and consult you. As I said, I'm very well-acquainted with your work. Many of your texts were required study when I was a student."

The elderly academic forgot his irascibility and peered over the top of his out-moded view-enhancers and nearly fell off his chair. Sesil Stratholm stood before him dressed in a smart grey business uniform that would have been de-rigeur at the height of Palpatine's Empire. She was a feast to the eyes - opulent curves, flashing green eyes and hair like midnight on the dark side of Ryloth. It almost made him want to visit the University of Rhinnal.

"Professor, my department has many glaring shortages. There has been little funding and no updating for years." She sighed. "I was told by the Vice-Principal himself, that you would be able to help me. In fact, that _you_ were my only hope."

The professor found himself quite willingly searching out hand drawn maps from centuries before.

"This is fascinating," Sesil enthused over a map of somewhere in the Outer-Rim. "Many of these worlds I have never heard of before. They are not marked on current maps."

Stunned by her beauty and enthusiasm he found himself responding to her overtures. "These worlds were not found to be habitable. There are no cities or technology to make them interesting to our modern eyes."

"They exist and should be plotted. Don't you think?"

"Yes. I am currently working to produce a definitive map of the galaxy including all areas of space until we reach the unknown regions. It is proving harder than I first thought it would be. The galaxy is a vast place. It may be years before survey teams can be sent"

"May I have copies?" Mara asked, taking out her holo-recorder. "I can make up new maps by using this little piece of equipment."

"This is highly unorthodox…"

"So is leaving my new department in such a poorly equipped state. You would, of course, be given full credit for any aid you might grant us. We could," she said slyly, "name one of our new lecture theatres after you. It would be a great honour."

"I think we may have some duplicates," he murmured. "Excuse me while I check."

Mara inclined her head and watched him leave the room. As soon as she was alone she slipped behind Chan's desk and smiled with satisfaction. He had left his computer running. Using Ghent's discs, which bypassed most security protocols, she managed to swiftly copy any information on the region of space she was most interested in. While she was there, as an afterthought, she pulled up data on Doctor Folla Rule. She might as well. It could come in handy. Better to know who or what she might have to deal with. There was something almost familiar about the woman.

Professor Chan returned just as Mara had finished downloading and slipped the discs into her pocket without the old man noticing. It was a long trip to the Outer Rim; she could do with some interesting reading material. It may even prove to be of some benefit to Karrde's organisation. Any maps she would copy for herself and then donate anonymously to the University of Rhinnal. They deserved something out of this endeavour.

Mara left the University district, walking down the stone steps with a studied purposefulness which hid her haste. She had one more place to visit before she could leave and this place was the most difficult for her. She had spent most of her life in this very building.

The vast edifice of the Imperial Palace rose miles into the sky, its towers and spires dominating the whole of Galactic Centre. This time, she wasn't sneaking into one of the annexes at the back now housing Karrde's gym. No, she was going to walk in the front door. The New Republic would be too proud of its achievements to overly worry about security. She was quite sure there would be signs welcoming the public to marvel at what had once been the Emperor's domain.

She walked into the cool marble hall, feeling strangely calm despite the number of beings rushing to get to various destinations and stopped, appalled. They'd taken out the trees.

Mara stopped. "The trees?" she asked no one in particular. The grand corridor in the Imperial Palace had once been lined with C'haala trees.

A grey and gold trimmed guard coughed politely as he overheard her words. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. They were diseased. All of them started dying…almost overnight. It was a shame really because they added something to the grand corridor. There are plans to replace them but these things take forever in committee. Three years is nothing in a place as large as this."

"Thank you for telling me this," Mara said carefully. "It's been a long time since I was here," she surprised herself by admitting.

"Empire kept you out most likely," the guard said. "They're gone now and you're free to do what you want."

"Yes," Mara said slowly staring curiously at the guard. "I am." Someone else glad that the Empire was gone? She stood for a moment just staring at her surroundings, mulling it over.

"Can I help you, Mistress?"

"Yes." She flashed one of her counterfeit identity cards at the guard. "I need to see whoever deals with the reclamation of lost art. My government has charged me with retrieving sacred and precious items taken to Coruscant from my home world." She opened her briefcase and waved some official-looking documents in the guard's face.

"I don't need to see these, Mistress. Take the third turbolift to the hundred and tenth floor and they will assist you in your task there. Good day, Mistress."

"Thank you." Mara gave a distant smile and replaced the documents inside her briefcase. It was good to know that the New Republic hadn't got around to distributing all of Palpatine's priceless collection back to where it had come from and had left it in the same place it had always been kept. Of course, they probably didn't know about the extra hidden rooms either. Some of the articles stored there were much more interesting. Well, they would be to Organa and her cohorts. Mara decided to leave Leia a little present once she had collected what she needed. It would show the princess that Mara paid her debts.

The place was deserted – excellent. Mara left the turbolift and marched up to the desk. She knew she had gone through a biometric scanner but the readings it would take would be false ones. Karrde's people thought of everything. She checked to see if the little device was still attached to the inside of her stiff collar. A door slid aside and she could hear the computer's bland voice announce her arrival. Someone should be dispatched to deal with her request any second now. She pulled out her bogus official forms and waited.

She didn't have to wait long – a young uniformed clerk approached and Mara thrust her forms under his nose. "I am the representative on behalf of the Government of Rhinnal. I have come to collect this artefact. We have just discovered, after much investigation, that this is where it is being kept. I made the journey from Rhinnal immediately. The documentation is all in order. Do you know how many forms I have to fill in?" she demanded irately. "There must be an easier way of dealing with all of this red tape. The artefact belongs to the people of Rhinnal after all." Mara couldn't help but pick up on the young clerk's nervousness. This was probably the first time he'd been left on his own. So much the better.

"That's the way it is at the moment. There are still some unscrupulous beings around who would take advantage of the many treasures still stored here."

"I suppose you are right," Mara said grudgingly. She stretched out with her now strengthened Force ability and tried to gauge how many beings were in the other room. Hopefully there wouldn't be many. A smile crept over her face. She'd been right all along when she'd sensed that this young man was manning the department on his own for the moment. Fortune was on her side. Carefully, Mara stretched out and something toppled in another room with an almighty crash. Such a feat was extremely difficult for her but when the Emperor had been alive she had managed such tricks with ease.

"What was that?" she said, pretending to jump a little in surprise.

"I don't…"

"It sounded like something large breaking."

The clerk's face blanched. "No!"

"Go and deal with it. I have time to wait. I would not like to think that something as precious to another world as my artefact is to ours has suffered a fatal accident. Go." Mara picked up her briefcase and made a point of deliberately sitting down on some plush black nerf-leather seating.

"Excuse me," he muttered and ran out of the room to check on whatever disaster had happened next door.

Mara smirked and opened her briefcase. The bubble disrupter blanked out the security holocams as soon as she toggled the switch. "Easy, when you know how," she murmured in a low voice before turning and pressing the head of a fanciful beast decorating the wall behind her. There was a click and an agonisingly loud scrape as the panel slid reluctantly aside revealing a passageway. No one had used this method of entry for some time. So some of the Emperor's secrets were still intact.

She did not have much time – probably only minutes. Mara ran as quickly as she could down a narrow dark passage, keeping her senses attuned to the clerk's movements. The passageway opened out into a large square room where rows and rows of durasteel cabinets stood covered in several years' worth of cobwebs and dust. She checked the illuminated display on her wrist chrono and shone it down onto a code etched into the side of one of the cabinets. With a soft whirring sound it slid open smoothly. "It should be in this section but I can't see the contents," she gritted irritably as she dug into the drawer. "I don't have time for…Aha!" Her fingers closed over the required item.

Mara keyed a code into a security pad and another drawer slid open. Grinning with relief, she stowed the contents of the drawer inside her briefcase and hurried back to where she hoped the clerk had not returned. A gaping hole in the wall would cause too much interest and she didn't have time for explanations right now. She would donate the knowledge of the secret panel to Organa once she had left Coruscant. Pressing the animal's head once more she watched as the panel slid agonisingly slowly back into place, the grinding noise it was making had to be heard in the entrance hall, one hundred floors below, let alone in the next room. "Hurry," she whispered, urging it on.

Just at that moment the young man returned, shaken, to where Mara sat waiting. "A vase just toppled off its plinth of its own accord," he said, his pimply face bewildered.

"These things happen without explanation. I hope it wasn't too valuable a specimen," she said with fake sympathy. "I'll come back tomorrow and assure your superiors that you were nowhere near the vase. How could you have anything to do with it when you weren't even in the same room?" Mara stood up, surreptitiously brushing a large stringy cobweb that she hoped the clerk hadn't noticed from her shoulder.

"No, it's alright. I will deal with it once you have gone. The holocams will have picked it up."

"I'll come back tomorrow. You need the time and space to clear up." She picked up her briefcase and walked out of the office and into the turbolift and then out of the palace. 'Next stop, the spaceport,' Mara said briskly to herself. 'And Dagobah.' She had what she needed.


	19. Chapter 19

**Out of the Shadows 19**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title and for Michele and Licia for taking the time to read.

**Kulthis**

Tionne finished her song and waited for the good-natured but raucous applause to finish. This seedy dive was suspect but better than some of the places she had played recently. The credits were better too. She pushed the image away from her mind of the things she might do with the extra credits - now was not the time.

There was a shout for more from the back of the room. Moistening her lips, she stared around until she caught the cantina owner's single bloodshot eye. He gave a gap-toothed grin of approval and swayed his head from side to side. Tionne wasn't sure exactly which species he belonged to - he was vaguely humanoid in appearance apart from the one eye in the centre of his forehead - but one thing was certain: he couldn't hold his drink.

She prepared to begin her last song of the evening, running her fingers lightly over the ancient stringed instrument that was all she had left to remind her of her grandmother. No matter how long the crowd bayed for more, this had to be her last song or she would be unable to sing again tomorrow. The cantina owner had booked her to perform for the entire week of the festival and it was a rare occurrence to have such a guaranteed income.

Tionne gazed once more around the room and, as she did so, she felt a tingle run through her whole body. Someone was watching her. She frowned, a wrinkle appearing on her smooth, pale forehead. The whole cantina was watching her but this felt different. It was as if this stare was burning an indelible mark onto her soft skin. She turned her head just a fraction and in the darkest corner sat a being in a hooded cloak, his intense gaze upon her. This was the same sensation she'd experienced yesterday and now she knew the reason why. She was being watched but in a different way from usual. She could almost feel his gaze touching her, seeing through her and finding out all the secrets she held within her.

Tionne's silvery eyes widened as she opened her mouth to sing. Who could be so interested in her simple entertainment? Perhaps this lay would bring forth his identity and, in a split second decision, changed her choice of song. Forgotten was the mildly bawdy folk song she had originally intended to give her audience and in its place, she sang a bittersweet song of times long ago once taught by the Jedi to their own in their places of learning. She had found that this piece of music affected those around her more than any other. Her voice rose sweetly into the expectant air as the notes rang true, the words compelling and full of hope.

When she raised her eyes, after the approbation of her listeners had finished, to where the stranger had been, all she saw was an empty seat. Tionne slipped from her stool and, smiling stiffly, left the small elevated platform. She felt as if she had been watching herself perform from another place, unconnected to her own body. After collecting her evening's wages, she left by the back exit and headed down the narrow alley to where it met the main street.

"I haven't heard that song for many years." The voice emerging from a dark doorway was low and cultured. "What made you choose that particular melody?"

Tionne let out a tiny shriek of surprise and nearly dropped the case containing her precious instrument. "You…you startled me," she breathed, her hand fumbling to keep hold of her instrument and find her blaster. She couldn't be certain but this appeared to be the man in the cloak from the cantina. He'd been lying in wait for her? She peered into his face, trying to see his features clearly in the darkness of the dimly lit lane. Was he hostile and was she in some sort of trouble?

"Come," he said, his hand shooting out and grabbing hers in a firm grip.

"I'm not going anywhere but back to my lodgings," she said, digging her heels in and beginning to struggle ineffectually. "Let go," she said through clenched teeth. "I can scream," she said and then winced at the pitiable ruse she was about to adopt. This street was in the worst area of the town near to the spaceport. It was unlikely that someone would come to her aid. Why would they?

"I won't harm you." His grip on her arm tightened.

"How do I know that?" she protested, her voice rising to a squeak as she tried to get at her blaster which was impossible as she had her instrument in one arm and the stranger was gripping her by the other. "I have a weapon and I will defend myself if you don't let me go."

The stranger chuckled but his grip didn't slacken in the least. "I'm sure that you do, Mistress. But I'm telling the truth. I mean you no harm." He waved his other hand and strangely, she felt calmer. "Come…the tapcaf over there is open. It's on the main street and is well lit. I want to talk to you, that's all. After that…you may go." He steered her out of the alleyway and into the brightly lit main street where there were still many beings milling around despite the lateness of the hour.

"Oh…" Tionne felt a little foolish at her hesitation. "But I have to be careful. I don't know who you are."

"You are alone?" The stranger's voice sharpened.

"No, I have…yes, I'm alone." She couldn't utter the ready lie. She thought he would see right through it.

"That's what I thought," he said, gazing at her fair prettiness. She was really quite lovely. "What's a woman like you doing cruising the space lanes alone? Where are your friends…your family? You could be attacked, sold into slavery or worse."

"My family is dead. I admit it, I am alone," she said sadly, "but I am not the only one in that situation."

"The Empire left many beings that way but surely that isn't the entire truth of why you are here, is it? There's more to this than you are telling me. You are brave singing songs of the Jedi in public."

"You knew that it was a Jedi lay?"

"Of course," he said brusquely.

Tionne stared into his hooded face, his shadowed eyes glittering with an emotion she couldn't fathom, and decided to tell him the truth. Why she was telling her business to a total stranger Tionne didn't quite know but she wasn't the type to lie and had nothing nefarious to conceal. Kulthis, with its Republican sympathies, was a far safer place to be than its near neighbour, imperially loyal Belderone. "I…I need to find out as much about the Jedi as I can. So much has been lost."

"Isn't that a dangerous occupation?" His voice took on a peculiar note.

"The Emperor is dead."

"But the Empire is not. It is still very much alive and there are still agents roaming the galaxy."

"Is that what you are?"

"No, I am just concerned for your safety. They might want to make an example of you if they discover what you are doing. The resources of the New Republic are stretched to their absolute limits. They cannot protect you out here."

"I can look after myself. I am no threat to anyone. I am a balladeer – a wandering minstrel. I just sing my songs to earn enough credits to live. There's no harm in that. I am no threat to anyone," she repeated. "I travel and just make enough to survive. I am no different from anyone else out on the edge of known space."

"Ah, but the songs you sing… That last song in particular possesses a powerful message. Ideas are far more dangerous than weapons because they can breed new ideas." His grip slackened slightly. "The Jedi are no more – there are none of their number left. They are as dead as Palpatine." The last word emerged as a sneer.

Tionne guessed that he wasn't a fan of the late Emperor and he knew far more about the Jedi and the New Republic than the usual patrons who frequented dingy spaceport tapcafs did. "The Jedi will return," she said quietly. If he was an agent it could not be for the Empire. She lifted her chin bravely and declared, "there must be those out there with the right skills and knowledge. The Empire cannot have killed them all. Luke Skywalker…"

"So you've heard of him," he murmured, his grip on her arm slackening.

"Who hasn't?" Tionne asked with a shrug that finally managed to shake her arm from the stranger's grasp. Then she marched across the street and paused, waiting for him outside the tapcaf door.

"Perhaps there are some beings left who are unaware of his existence," he said, wry amusement lacing his voice, "but not many." He ushered her into the brightly lit tapcaf and winced.

"He is real…isn't he – Luke Skywalker?"

"Yes."

"My name is Tionne," she said when they were finally seated and she was able, for the first time, to take a proper look at her mysterious new companion, as they each nursed a large, rough mug filled with scalding hot stim tea.

"Kam Solusar," he said reluctantly and sipped the hot brew thankfully.

Kam Solusar had been hiding in the darkest corner of the cantina, whiling away some time before trying to catch a shuttle bound for the Galactic Core Worlds, when she had walked out onto the tiny elevated stage, strummed a few chords and opened her mouth. He'd been unable to tear himself away once this woman had started to sing and had returned to hear her performance each night, his plans to leave put on temporary hold. There was something compelling about her clear sweet voice and her curious choice of songs. But tonight had been different – patterns in the Force had suddenly converged. She'd lifted her head and seemed to know that he was there. As she had sung that one last piece, his gut had twisted into painful recollection. He had the sudden urge to stay behind and talk to her. Strange that this was so, for he had shunned company for many years. His dark moods made it better that way.

His name suited him, she decided. Tionne's strange silvery eyes assessed the human male seated opposite her. He was younger than she had expected, tall with greying hair; his thin face gaunt with haunted shadows in deep grey eyes. This man had suffered some kind of private hell. She could see it. She could almost feel it.

"Do I pass?" he suddenly asked.

"What? Oh…I was staring, I'm sorry," Tionne flushed. "I didn't mean to be rude."

"It's alright," he said gruffly. "I was able to take a proper look at you in the cantina. You don't belong there," he stated.

"I belong there as much as any being does." Tionne was defensive; her eyes of liquid silver shimmered. "I need to earn credits to survive. It's a place to earn credits."

Kam disagreed. She was pretty, he thought. Pretty, and way out of her depth on these kinds of lawless worlds. One of her long deceased ancestors must not have been human and he liked the striking combination of her pale hair and astonishing silvery eyes. She had a natural, gently-bred elegance about her movements and on Kulthis, in that rough environment, she just didn't quite fit. "Can you really defend yourself? Suppose one of the cantina patrons had followed you."

There was a brief flash of amusement on her face. "One of them did."

"I don't count," Kam snapped. "But you should be somewhere better – somewhere safer."

"It's a paying job and I need to eat and fuel my ship. I am not naive, Master Solusar…"

"Just Kam," he said, a brief flash of pain darkening his grey eyes to the colour of polished slate.

"My will to survive, _Kam_, is a strong one. I have been making my own way in the galaxy for several years now." She wondered at the sudden anguish which had etched itself over his handsome features. "I will do whatever is necessary to achieve my goal."

She was determined and not just the fragile beauty he had originally taken her for. He should have realised there was more to this woman than met the eye. His father had told him often that his eyes could deceive him. How many times had he disregarded his father's wisdom in the past few years? Too many to count and where had it left him? He straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin; he was trying to change for the better and would succeed. "I, too, have taken employment I disliked to tide me over the worst times until the next meal. But why you?"

"I never said that I disliked it," Tionne countered neatly.

"But you do, don't you?" he said gently. "Why?"

"To fund my studies…and you?"

"To stay alive. Your studies…what exactly are you studying?"

"The Jedi," she said, shaking back her silvery hair. "I am collecting information on Jedi legends, songs and other lore. I want to preserve them for future generations."

"Who gave you the authority?" he demanded.

"No one. It's just something I feel I must do."

Kam stared at her, wondering why she felt this strong compulsion. Was it a call from the Force itself? The patterns of the Force were shifting rapidly of late and Kam didn't pretend to understand what was happening. He hadn't learned enough to read the eddies and currents of its ceaseless movements. "There are no universities or temples left that foster the study of the Jedi."

"I know. This is the only way I can collect material. The Empire considered out of the way places beneath them. The Jedi learned that these worlds were the only possible places that their message could survive. One day, Luke Skywalker will want as much information as possible. The way of the Force must be preserved for the future."

"All the old ways have gone," Kam said bitterly. "You are wasting your time and your credits. Forget this."

"No, I won't. I cannot." She fixed him in place, her eyes flashing silver, demanding hotly, "Who are you? Who _exactly_ are you and why do you want to talk to me so badly? I'm a nothing – a nobody."

"Would you believe that I wanted your company?"

A fair eyebrow arched derisively. "No, you don't seem like that type of man but of course, I could be mistaken. There were females around in the cantina that would have been glad to ease your loneliness. I don't do that sort of thing."

Kam shuddered visibly and shook his head. "You were right, I'm not the type…not for cheap cantina whores…but I do want your company. Just to talk."

"Why talk to me?"

"Your songs…brought back memories of a more…civilised age."

She could feel the truth in his words. "Then it must have something to do with the Jedi."

"I wasn't lying when I said that I wanted to talk to you." He stared at the mug and then lifted his grey eyes to meet hers, something desolate in their depths. "The last time I heard that final song of yours was when my mother sang it to me – it was one of her favourites. She died when I was a boy."

"Your mother was a Jedi?"

"No, but she was familiar with their songs."

"How…Why?" Tionne could feel the excitement building inside her. "Do you know others - stories, legends…_anything_?"

"I do," he said gravely. "She used to sing them to me."

"Could you teach them to me?" she asked tremulously, unable to believe her good fortune. "The ones you remember?" This was living history sitting before her. What a wonderful piece of fate. She had to get back to her ship and find her holo-recorder. These things had to be preserved before they were lost forever.

"I would be honoured," he said.

"How do you know these things?" she asked breathlessly.

"I know because of my father. He was a Jedi Knight," he said, his voice low.

"Your father?" Tionne closed her eyes unable to believe what she was hearing. The information this man must have and he was sitting opposite her! It was too unbelievable. How long was he staying on Kulthis? How much time did he have? "Your father…A real Jedi Knight?"

"Yes, my father was a Jedi Master. His name was Ranik…Ranik Solusar. And I… I was also…"

"_You!_"

"Keep your voice down," he hissed, looking hunted, his grey eyes darkening to the colour of slate.

"You are a Jedi knight?" Tionne's heart was beating so fast inside her chest that she thought that it might just explode. This was incredible.

"I _was_ a Jedi Knight once," he said sadly. "I lost that right a long time ago."

Tionne's mind went into a freefall dive. "Was? Lost the right…why? What happened? I don't understand. Does Luke Skywalker know about this?"

Kam gave a feeble laugh. "Skywalker? He's a boy and a half-trained one at that."

"How do you know? Have you met him? What is he like?" The words rushed from her eager tongue almost tripping themselves up in their haste to be heard.

"Of course I haven't met him. No one has heard anything of his whereabouts for several years. What kind of a Jedi Knight is that?"

"One who is in hiding, perhaps? You've been in hiding. Who has heard of you?"

"The Empire is gone and my circumstances were different. I left…other employment. I am not the hope of the Jedi."

"You're contradicting yourself," Tionne said. "You could be. You are trying to behave as a Jedi should. Remember what you said to me earlier? The Emperor is gone, remember but part of his Empire still remains."

"The New Republic is in charge now. Why did Skywalker disappear when they finally achieved success?"

"Perhaps he has found someone who could give him further training. Perhaps he is preparing to rebuild the Jedi Order and is searching through the galaxy for suitable candidates to help him. There could be many reasons."

Kam swallowed a mouthful of liquid, slamming the mug back down on the table with more force than he had intended. "Perhaps he's gone home to wherever he's from now that the war is over. All the Jedi that could have trained him are dead."

"I'm not so sure about that." Tionne leant forward conspiratorially. "My research so far has given up several names of the Jedi that were known to have died. Others just vanished. Many Jedi went into hiding and may have lasted through Palpatine's reign. Who knows?" She shrugged. "Some of them may still be alive. We have to keep faith that this is so. You are a Jedi and are definitely not dead. You could help him."

"I might as well be dead," he said bitterly. "I was never trained properly and…" He avoided her eyes. "My father was killed before I achieved the true rank of my Jedi Knighthood. I told you my circumstances were different." He swallowed, gearing himself up to tell her the worst, at the same time wondering why he was doing so. "I fell to the dark side."

"What!" Tionne suddenly realised the nature of the hell that this man had gone through. She had read of the constant battle that a Jedi had to go through to win through over the baser side of his nature. Some of them couldn't do it and were lost to evil. She stretched out a hand and covered his. "You didn't stay there," she said softly. "You came back to the light."

"I am forever tainted," he admitted bitterly, wondering at the way her soft hand touching his made him feel. It had been too many years since he had been comforted like this. "My destiny took a different path to the one I once intended to follow." He withdrew his hand from under hers and rubbed it across his tired eyes. "Why are you so interested in the Jedi? One of _your_ relatives…?"

"No…well, yes, in a way." She shook her head. "My grandmother told me songs and stories about the Jedi. She revered them greatly. I don't think she had any connection to the order other than that. She just loved them and what they represented. For her, it was everything that was good and just in the galaxy. She told me such _things_. The Imperial representatives on Rindao took exception to her Jedi tales and songs and publicly executed her. All she had done was tell stories." The silvery eyes shone with tears as she motioned to the ancient string instrument by her side. "This belonged to her."

"I'm sorry." Kam's grey eyes warmed with sympathy. "As I said before, stories can be more powerful than the most fearsome of weapons for they allow people to think and to dream. Your songs made me feel true emotions for the first time in years."

"I've come to terms with her loss but it was hard at the time." She looked up and glared at him fiercely. "One day, Luke Skywalker, or someone like him, will want to know as much as they can about the Jedi and I plan to help in whatever capacity I am able."

Kam was impressed and it strengthened his own shaky resolve to do what he could on his own. But he couldn't lead the Jedi. He spoke of Skywalker as being half-trained; he was even less suitable as a Jedi leader candidate than the boy was. Former dark Jedi did not suddenly turn to the light and restart an ancient order they'd once been hell-bent on destroying. But the Jedi had been the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy and if he was truly to return to the light, he had to start somewhere. Anything was better than the shadows he was currently residing in. Otherwise he was still letting the dark side win. Perhaps the Force had just given him the mission of guiding this strange young woman.

"The dark side?" Tionne queried shakily. "How did you…?"

"How did I turn? Have you ever heard of the Dark Side Elite?"

"No."

"Be very thankful that you did not cross their paths when singing your Jedi ballads, Tionne, for you would have been destroyed instantly. The Dark Side Elite consisted of seven warriors who were trained by Emperor Palpatine himself in the ways of the dark side of the Force. I was one of them."

"Was?"

"I am the only one _ever_ to have deserted."

Tionne stretched out her hand again and trapped Kam's restless fingers between her own. She was convinced he was telling her the truth. "And the others?"

"Dead, I think." His fingers tightened on hers. "I ran and hid from the Empire as long as I could but my training had been sketchy and I wasn't able to elude Vader and others like him. Vader killed my father and I was captured, tortured and forced into evil ways, eventually falling to the dark side. It was something I'd sworn that I would never do but the pain made me weak and I slipped into the abyss."

"Oh, Kam!" Tionne exclaimed softly.

His mouth flattened, the lips thinning. "Until the day that I'd heard that a half-trained boy had defeated both Vader and Emperor Palpatine…it finally gave me something that up until then I'd lacked."

"And what was that?" Tionne whispered, her eyes full of concern and pity for the proud man sitting opposite her.

"Hope."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Coruscant**

Mara swiftly made her way towards _The Lucky Strike_ and keyed in her access code. It was time to leave the place that held so many painful memories for her. Her return to the jewel of the Core Worlds was perhaps not what she had imagined but in some ways it had turned out better than she would have hoped for. She could return after she'd found Skywalker and start her life anew here – just another ordinary New Republic citizen.

She turned and stared hard at a man toting a piece of freight across the docking area. She would have to tell Organa and Solo that their people were far too obvious when involved in surveillance. She was dealing with the people who currently held the real power in the galaxy and although she should have expected the scrutiny, she didn't have to like it.

The ramp lowered with an angry hiss and she stalked aboard. She really was hoping that the maps she'd picked up gave her somewhere worthwhile to head towards, otherwise the whole exercise would be pointless.

Moving to the crew space, she dropped her bags, pulled out the long tube of stiffened flimsi and unrolled one of the maps that Professor Chan had given her. "Nothing," Mara said as she scrutinised the faint markings. The next map proved to be the same as did the third. But the fourth one she examined was a different story. It was much older in its origins, crudely drawn and not the kind of map she could rely on for getting an exact fix on her destination but the one word drew her eyes immediately. Could it be?

'_Daygohba'_

'_Sabacc! _The Sluis Sector,' Mara thought. Right smack-bang in the centre of where she had thought that Skywalker's hideaway could be. This was much more exact than guesswork. She moved to the cockpit and checked her navicomp. It was time to set the co-ordinates for the Sluis Sector and from there she could work on getting a fix on Skywalker's mysterious hideaway. Daygohba had to be an alternative way of spelling the name of the planet. Daygohba…Dagobah. It had to be the same place and it felt right and that was good enough for Mara. Her Master had always told her to give in to her feelings and they had, in most cases, led her along the correct path.

She strapped herself into the pilots chair and called the Westport control requesting a departure slot. She was lucky. Someone had cancelled and if she was ready she could leave within the next five minutes.

Mara was ready.

Within minutes the ship was airborne and as she prepared to make the jump to light speed, Mara quickly ran through the files she'd downloaded from the Professor's computer. Dagobah had at one time been surveyed by an Imperial team but for some reason they had failed to return the survey and it had remained uncharted. 'Well, well,' she thought. Someone had made a mistake - or was the omission deliberate?

After she had made the jump to light speed, Mara set the controls to autopilot and headed to her cabin to have a little nap. She would be travelling for several days and had no real knowledge of what she would find at the other end but she had time to learn. Of Dagobah itself she had no idea. Her eyes travelled to the briefcase where she'd stored the objects taken from Palpatine's palace hoard. It had taken quite a bit of research to locate these items and Mara would lay bets that not even Karrde knew about these little beauties. Her hand stretched towards the case. She was itching to start again but she needed to rest first. With a regretful sigh, Mara's hand fell to her side and she climbed into her bunk, pulled the blanket over her shoulders and settled down to sleep.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Coruscant**

"Han!" Leia called.

"Yes."

"I thought you were tired." Leia turned her head as the door slid open. "I expected you to be in bed before me."

"Sorry, sweetheart," he said as he wandered into the bedroom. "I had to take that com call."

"At this hour?"

"Leia!" Han said chidingly, as he climbed into bed. "You've never had to deal with something this late?" He'd just had an interesting conversation with General Airen Cracken, the New Republic head of security, and knew that Leia would want to know this little piece of information.

"Yes. What was it – something important?" She sat at her vanity unit, staring at her reflection in the polished glass, unwinding the heavy coils of her hair from its intricate styling with sighs of relief, the tension slipping from her weary shoulders.

Han loved to see her take down her hair. When she did so – she was truly his and not the regal beauty he had no right to touch. He sometimes took her hair down for her. He loved to gently pull out the pins and feel the silky mass slipping through his fingers. But that usually led to other things and they needed to talk. "It could be. Mara Jade left Coruscant three hours ago."

Leia turned to look at him, her forehead wrinkled in a frown. "That's what that last call was about? Cracken's been keeping watch on Karrde and his people?"

"I don't think there was any harm in alerting Cracken. He had someone at the spaceport in any case."

Leia pursed her lips disapprovingly. "We've discussed this before. I still don't think you should have mentioned this to Cracken at all. We are not Imperial agents and they are not enemies of the regime. Karrde and Mara are free citizens…"

"Mara has a death wish on your brother, remember?"

"I'm not likely to forget," Leia said stiffly. "But I don't think Luke's in any danger from her."

"He might be if she's found out where he is hiding." Han leaned back against his pillow. "You did tell her about Dagobah. Was that wise?"

"It's not on any of the charts. I've looked." Leia picked up a brush encrusted with semi-precious stones and ran it through her hair. "I think she's our only hope of finding Luke. She promised she wouldn't kill him if she does, by some miracle, manage to locate Dagobah."

"And you believe her?"

"Of course I do. I _like_ her, Han. I think she means what she says and that's a rare thing."

"You've actually looked for Dagobah on the charts?"

"Well, not me personally for ages – I've been too busy - but Winter has spent some time searching on my behalf." Leia put down the brush, removed her peignoir and walked to the other side of the bed, staring down at Han, concern in her dark eyes.

"Winter found nothing?" Han's breath caught in his throat as he gazed at his lover, every curve outlined by the thin white silk gown she was wearing. He sat up a little straighter.

"Winter found nothing," Leia confirmed dejectedly. "It is not on any of our charts."

"Have you tried the enemy's charts? There must still be some of them around." Han was finding it increasingly difficult to keep his mind on the conversation. Not when Leia looked so…tempting.

"Yes, of course we've checked the Imperial charts. We captured enough capital ships and searched through their databases and nothing - no mention of Dagobah."

He should have known. His love was thorough to the point of obsessive. If she'd put Lady Winter onto the case… Well, his lover's aide was the best person he knew to discreetly search for a single microscopic speck of information and remember where she'd found it. Han tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Then how did the Kid get there the first time he vanished?"

"I don't know. I suspect Obi-Wan Kenobi told him."

"That crazy old wizard? He's _dead_ or one with the Force or whatever it is that Jedi do. How could he have told Luke?"

"He's the only one I can think of who would know where it was. Luke has claimed to have seen him several times since he died on the first death star."

"Ah! The Jedi 'seeing people who aren't there' trick." Han reclined against his pillow again, the cover slipping to his waist. "I suppose you did do the right thing…"

"Me!" Leia's mouth opened and closed. "Who was it that asked Karrde to search for Luke in the first place?"

"Okay, guilty," Han muttered. "I suspect Jade still has access to resources we don't know about."

"Possibly," Leia admitted tiredly. "But if we cannot find the location of Dagobah with all our sources then who can? Karrde has the best network of informants I've ever seen but I suspect that even he would be unable to come up with the goods on this occasion. I wish we could get him to work for the New Republic."

"Can't see that happening, sweetheart." Han patted the bed invitingly. "He's a smuggler and likes to remain independent."

"Mara won't be happy if she guesses that we're spying on her. I was beginning to get to know her – I think."

"That I doubt. I don't think she lets anyone in, sweetheart."

"There's more to her than you think," Leia maintained. "And we shouldn't have had her followed."

"Jade would expect it. She trusts us about as much as we trust her."

"I still don't think that she would like it." Leia pulled back the covers and slipped into bed beside Han. "I'm very fond of Airen but I'm the first one to admit that he can be difficult. Once he gets an idea in his head it's very difficult to stop him from carrying it out. Jade is not our enemy, Han. No matter how hard she persists to argue in such a contrary fashion."

"Relax." He wriggled closer, placed his arms around her and kissed her nose. "Mara will never notice."

"She's Force sensitive, Han. Of course, she'll have noticed."

"Do you think she's found Dagobah's location?" the Corellian asked, his voice serious.

"I don't know. I hope so. But she could be setting out on a trading run for Karrde and not searching for Luke at all. I miss him so much, Han. I really do." She yawned, her eyes drifting shut.

"I know you miss him." He dropped a couple of tender kisses on her closed eyelids. "We'll have him home soon. Sleep, sweetheart."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Sluis Sector **

Mara's on-board navicomputer gave a warning signal that the _Lucky Strike _would be re-entering real space in the next few moments. Finally, after ten days of travelling, she had reached the Sluis Sector. If all her calculations were correct, the time to the Dagobah System, and Luke Skywalker, was only two hours. On closer inspection, Dr. Chan's maps had been most informative. Mara shut down the remotes she'd been using to practise with, checked that everything which needed to be fastened down was secure and returned to the cockpit.

She couldn't believe that this strange planet had once been the possible destination for colonists. The meagre information she'd managed to discover about Dagobah, including what she hoped was its exact location, was that it was almost impossible to survive upon… unless, of course, you were a Jedi. There were no records of any sentient life forms making their home there.

The systems containing Praesitlyn, Bpfaash and Sluis Van passed by. She had been tempted to stop and refuel on Praesitlyn but decided against it. She didn't want to delay getting to Dagobah now that she knew where it was. 'Stang!' she thought. No wonder people could disappear out here. It was parsecs from anywhere important. This really was the middle of the galactic nowhere.

Her heart was thumping with anticipation and unaccustomed nervousness. What exactly would she find on Dagobah? Suppose this was all a wild-morodin hunt and there was no Jedi at the end of her journey. Somehow, Mara knew that this was not the case but it didn't lessen her nerves. She could just _feel_ that she had found what she'd been searching for. A warning chime from her instrument panel sounded loudly in the cockpit. Something planetary-sized was located dead ahead. The countdown clock crawled to zero and Mara pulled the lever dropping the ship out of hyperspace.

And then there it was in the distance – a little speck of nothing coming closer and closer. She shivered with excitement at the sight of the world shrouded in thick grey clouds. The scanner confirmed what she already knew; there were no cities or technology on this world but massive life form readings and, more importantly, something that could be the life force belonging to one human Jedi Knight.

Another warning sound echoed through the cockpit and Mara, strapping herself into the pilot's chair, stared in horror as suddenly all the controls went haywire.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Dagobah**

Luke stood and walked to the door of Yoda's hut, his gaze fixed anxiously on the cloudy grey sky. He couldn't see anything yet but he knew she was coming. There was a connection between them far greater than the one he shared with his twin sister and this both worried and excited him. He did not understand how this could be so.

"Luke." Yoda's weak voice called to him.

The young Jedi turned and walked back to where the aged Master was resting. He hadn't been able to leave his bed for days, spending most of the time sleeping. He was asleep more than he was awake now. "Yes, Master Yoda?"

"Coming she is," Yoda managed to say, the words barely audible.

"You can feel her presence too?"

"Newly wakened and powerful," Yoda said. "But sense her through you I do. Linked tightly together are you. Foreseen this I had not."

"I awakened her, therefore I can feel her anger and her pain the most. It makes sense I suppose. I could not leave her as she was. She has to learn what it is to have the power of the force without Palpatine's control." Luke sank into the old repulsor lift chair whose coils had fried long ago, beside Yoda's bed. He'd spent most of the past few days just watching the old creature sleep, imprinting his image into his mind. But now Yoda was awake, a strange restless glitter in his eyes.

"Agree with you now I do. But careful must you be."

"I will be," Luke said with a warm smile. "But you must rest."

"Rest…" Yoda chuckled, his eyelids drooping. "Rest in the next world I can. Hurting she is. Full of anger and bitterness. Help her you must before too late it is and aid you she will."

Luke swallowed. "Please, Master Yoda," he begged. "Conserve your strength." He could feel Mara's presence stronger than ever, slightly panicked as the control of her ship was taken from her. Dagobah did not give up its secrets easily.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

It wasn't slowing down, Mara realised in shock as she frantically flicked switches and tried everything in her power to halt the rapidly descending craft. If she kept going at this speed, she wouldn't survive the landing. Suddenly the vessel gave a lurch and Mara was thrown forward, her head slamming against the bulkhead with a sickening crack, and everything went dark.

Luke swayed as, for a moment, he thought he saw stars. "Ouch!" Sith, she must have hit her head. '_Mara!_ _Can you hear me?' _"Stang!" he muttered. He couldn't feel any response from her and suspected that she was most likely unconscious. He reached out towards where he thought the ship should be and found that it was on the final part of its rapidly accelerating descent.

"Emperor's bones!" Luke swore. "It's coming down too fast."

He ran outside and, summoning all the power of the Force at his disposal, reached out his hands, seizing the ship in his mental grip. His knees buckling with the effort involved, he began to slow down the hurtling plunge of Mara's vessel towards terra firma or possibly terra swampland, which would be more accurate in this quadrant of Dagobah. This woman was going to be very important to the Jedi and to Luke Skywalker personally – even Yoda had said so - and therefore he had to make certain that she was safe.

"Size matters not," he mumbled. "Got her."

Luke strained, his eyes squeezed tightly shut, the muscles in his arms bulging as he held the large ship with the power of his mind, halting its frenetic rush to the surface and lowering its bulk slowly until it touched down in the soft marshy ground with a careful whumph.

He opened his eyes, the blue especially vivid in a face gone pale with the effort involved. It had taken more out of him than he'd thought. Taking a deep breath, getting his breathing and his emotions under control, Luke stepped towards the ship and pressed the hatch release. The mechanism opened and the ramp lowered with a gentle hiss. He hurried on board and immediately made for the cockpit. The pilot lay slumped in her seat, bleeding profusely from a large gash on her forehead. Head wounds always looked worse than they really were. They bled more freely. At least Luke hoped that was what had happened. There seemed to be an awful lot of blood.

"Mara?" he said cautiously.

The girl gave a slight moan but didn't answer. That was enough for Luke. She was still alive. Increasingly worried, Luke undid the seat restraints and lifted her from the chair, carrying her from the ship into his own makeshift quarters. He laid her on his bed and hurried across to Master Yoda's hut for the med kit.

"Hurt badly is she?" Yoda opened his eyes.

"She's out cold," Luke responded, rifling through the kit until he found a bacta compress and sealed sterile wipes. "I hope she's not seriously hurt. There's only so much I can do with the Force. I'm not a healer and I've never really tried to heal anyone else... at least not on purpose."

"See her I will," the old creature said, raising himself up into a seated position.

"This is not good for you," Luke admonished fondly, hiding his fear. The old Jedi's health was now so precarious.

"Told you before, young one I have. When my age you reach then give the orders you can." He pointed irritably. "My staff."

Luke rolled his eyes; his Master could still act like a petulant child when he wanted to. But he did as he was asked and handed Yoda his staff.

The old Jedi struggled to his feet, his face almost grey with the effort it took. He could see the look in his apprentice's eyes as he thought about the young woman and Yoda had lived through several lifetimes - enough to know exactly what that look meant. He had to see what the future of the Jedi might entail and this young woman had the future of the Jedi order firmly entwined with her own destiny. All the possible futures he had foreseen had that as a certainty.

Luke returned to his living area and began carefully tending to Mara's head wound. He ran his hands lightly over her body, checking for other injuries and thankfully there were none. Ripping open the pack of sterile wipes, he dabbed gently at the gash on her temple, his ears listening for the tap of Yoda's staff and his increasingly laboured breathing. He had left out a small stool for Yoda to sit on. He wanted to care for his Master but knew that Yoda still had his pride and would not appreciate the offer for Luke to carry him to see Mara.

Yoda stared at the back of Luke's head as he continued to tend Mara. "My time is over, Luke, but this one I would meet before I die."

The words emerged slowly and with great effort and Luke's mouth firmed. And Yoda said that Luke was stubborn! "If you are sure?"

"Important to you she is. Told you I did, linked you are. Hope for the best it works out. For your father it did not."

"My father?"

"Loved too well, he did. Like you for your family. Once your heart is given loyal are you." The old Jedi could still see straight through Luke and could interpret signs that the young man hadn't even admitted to himself.

"I don't love her. I've only met her once," Luke protested quietly.

'And in your dreams many times, young one,' Yoda thought slowly.

"Mara," Luke called softly, as he continued to bathe her wound, his fingers gentle. "Mara…"

The dark red eyelashes flickered revealing a hint of clear green.

"Mara," Luke repeated, exhaling with relief. She was going to be fine. "You're safe. Just a little concussed.

The lashes flickered again, this time opening more fully, the green eyes confused as she struggled to get her bearings. "What…what happened? Who are you? My ship…?"

"At a guess," he looked at Yoda for confirmation, "...the instruments on your control panel went haywire and you had a bumpy ride down." Luke could see comprehension creeping across her face. He hoped he wasn't staring at her like a lovestruck bantha cub. She was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

It came to Mara that she was lying on a bed staring into the face of a fair-haired young man with concerned blue eyes. Her ship! What had happened to her ship? Groaning slightly, Mara tried to sit up.

"No…please rest for a few more minutes," he urged her earnestly.

"Hit your head hard, my lady, you did," Yoda wheezed quietly.

"Do you remember?" Luke asked anxiously. "I'm Luke Sk…"

"Skywalker!" Mara did sit up and winced at the agonising pain that ran through her head. It couldn't be…? "Skywalker…and…" Her eyes widened as recognition set in. She had read about this creature.

"This is my Jedi Master." Luke made the formal introduction proudly. "Master Yoda, meet Mara…"

"Mara Jade." The old creature stared at her as if he could see inside her soul, then he nodded at Luke, closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. Yes, there was hope for this one. But her journey would be hard and fraught with difficulties. "The right thing you did, Luke. Told you…" The words died away into silence.

Luke glanced at Mara and then swiftly back at Yoda, the worry on his face changing to full blown panic. "Master…"

Suddenly, the tiny body seemed to wilt in the chair. Luke's eyes went wide and he dropped the cloth he'd been using to clean Mara's wound. "Master Yoda…" He reached out and stopped Yoda's fall, supporting his weight, noting with anguish how light he was. "Excuse us," he said to Mara.

Lifting Yoda into his arms, he made his way into the hut where Yoda had spent all of his years in exile, gently placing the old Jedi onto his cot.

"Luke…"

"No, Master, you must rest."

"Beyond rest am I."

Luke had to strain to hear the words. "No."

"My time it is."

Luke swallowed as a heavy weight descended on his chest squeezing and constricting his breathing. He leant forward and grasped Yoda's little clawed hand. The great luminous eyes seemed to be gazing towards something Luke could not yet experience, looking beyond this reality and into the next.

"Proud of you," the old Jedi whispered. "Love…you."

Luke could hardly speak. "I know."

Mara Jade watched in bewilderment as the last of the Jedi carried his Master towards a tiny construction which looked as if it had been fabricated from the elements of the planet Dagobah itself and fitted underneath the roots of a giant gnarltree. Lurching to her feet, ignoring the pounding in her head and the desire to empty the contents of her stomach, she dizzily staggered after Skywalker with his precious burden. This creature was Yoda! This was supposedly the greatest Jedi of his age. He had survived the Clone Wars, the Jedi purge and even Palpatine himself. She had to bend her head to enter the primitive dwelling and tried not to reel with the pain. She had endured far worse.

"Time…to…start…anew." Yoda had lifted his gaze and was staring over Skywalker's shoulder. The old Jedi was looking straight at her. "Your fight…not with…with…the…boy it is."

"I…" Mara opened and closed her mouth. Who was her fight with if it wasn't Skywalker?

"Luke, help you she will. But her help…first you must …."

"I know." Luke smiled down at his Master, a gentle smile warming his whole countenance. He hoped that his eyes weren't too red. "Ssh! Rest."

"Look after you she must."

Mara blinked. Look after Skywalker? Now, wait a minute.

"My legacy to the galaxy you are. May the Force be…" And with a last sigh, soft as air, Yoda vanished as if he had never been.

"Be with you." Luke finished, as he bowed his head, his shoulders shaking as sudden realisation of his loss swept through him.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_


	20. Chapter 20

**Out of the Shadows 20**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title and for Michele and Licia for taking the time to read.

**Dagobah**

'Yoda was gone', Luke thought, surreptitiously wiping the back of his hand across his eyes, unable to control his tears. He was really gone and the whole planet seemed to be in mourning for the diminutive Jedi Master. For a few moments there was the closest to complete silence that Luke had ever heard on Dagobah until a plaintive melody filled the air; it was the song of the Jubba bird raised in melancholic farewell. Luke, too, would have to manage without him.

"Where did he go?" Mara Jade stared at the place where the body of Jedi Master Yoda had lain. "Where is he? He's gone – completely disappeared." What kind of Jedi trickery was this? Her hands fumbled to release her hidden blaster from its hiding place but her fingers weren't co-operating and they fell back against her sides. "Where did he go? What did you do? Answer me," she demanded shakily. Beings didn't just disappear in front of your eyes.

Luke thought back to the time when he'd seen Obi-Wan Kenobi vanish into nowhere. He hadn't understood it either and he wasn't entirely sure that he did now. "He's gone. He's become one with the Force," he said quietly. "It happens to some of the Jedi. The physical realm is not theirs any more and they inhabit a different plane of existence."

"He's dead?"

"From a certain point of…of view. Yes, he's dead." Luke's shoulders hunched, shaking slightly, and he turned his face away from her gaze.

Mara stood uncertainly as the grief of the young Jedi washed through her. He was making no attempt to hide his pain. Skywalker knelt before the empty space and Mara could see the silent tears rolling down his cheeks. Dazed and confused and unable to focus her hatred on the grief-stricken man before her who had destroyed her life, Mara stumbled out of Yoda's home as a feeling of acute nausea overtook her. She had never come across such depth of feeling before – such overwhelming sadness - and he was making no attempt to shield her from his pain. Anger she could understand but not this desolation. How could someone be dead 'from a certain point of view'? How could this man feel such sadness for one individual when he had the blood of so many on his hands?

Her stomach heaved and she swayed as her vision blurred.

"I'm sorry. Here, let me help you." The soft voice intruded on her physical misery. She had no time to complain or refuse his assistance as comforting hands supported her trembling body while she turned and retched.

"Stang! I thought you might be concussed. You need to lie down." The concerned voice of the strange young man came to her through the fog of her own misery. No, he wasn't a stranger; she knew him – Skywalker. She knew him and hated him.

"I'm fine," Mara tried to say firmly, ashamed of her own helplessness, but the words emerged sounding weak and feeble.

"If you are 'fine', do you normally empty the contents of your stomach in front of casual acquaintances?"

"We are not acquaintances," Mara managed to say stiffly, trying to quell her still rolling stomach. "We are enemies."

"I'm not your enemy," Luke countered quietly. "What have I done to you?"

"Plenty." She managed to infuse the word with vitriol.

"But I'd never even met you before that incident on Druckenwell. How could…?"

Mara continued to glare at him, trying to reclaim her equilibrium. "My Master…"

The credit dropped. "Oh, Palpatine," Luke mumbled, eyeing the red head carefully. She didn't look well at all. Perhaps she'd hit her head harder than he'd thought and his healing skills were adequate but wouldn't cure something serious.

"Yes, _Emperor_ Palpatine. You are my enemy. You killed him…"

"What…but I…"

"You killed him." Mara said desperately, leaning heavily against his supporting arm. "One day I will kill you."

Luke stifled a wobbly smile. "Just not today, hmm? I don't think you're quite up to it and I'm not in the mood to defend myself. Wait until you get to know me better. Then you'll maybe mean it more." He began steering her towards his home.

"That would be difficult," she snapped.

"One day you will have to decide who your enemy really is and it will not be who you expect it to be." He handed her a glass of water. "It's just water," he said when she shot him a narrow look of suspicion. "Honest."

"I know my enemy," Mara declared.

"So do I," Luke countered evenly. "And it isn't you. Sit down."

"No, I prefer to stand," she said clinging to her waning defiance. Why was he being so kind to her? This man was supposed to be evil with no redeeming qualities. She took a sip and then another and finally tipped her head back and began to gulp at the water thirstily.

"Hey!" Luke seized the glass and held it away from her. "Sip it," he instructed. "Don't slug it down like that; you'll just make yourself sick again. It's just water but you've had a shock and you aren't quite yourself at the moment. Slowly." 'Force,' Luke thought. 'I sound like my Aunt Beru.' He brought the glass to her lips and watched as she dutifully did as she was told. He suspected that this state of affairs would not last long.

Even though precipitation was plentiful on Dagobah, Luke had been brought up on Tatooine, shaped into the man he became by that strange desert world fired by two fierce suns. Water was precious there – water was life. His aunt had taught him that. Luke could see a picture of Beru Lars in his mind's eye. Small, tough and loving, she had given her life to keep him safe and he hadn't realised how precious she was until she was gone. Who would love him now? The answer came back to him with his own heartbeat – Leia. Leia loved him. It was nearly time for him to go home.

The woman - no, her name was Mara…Mara Jade - swayed. She matched the tantalising image he had of her in his head but he didn't know who she was inside – not yet. "Careful," he murmured as he caught hold of her, steadying her.

"Let me go," Mara mumbled.

"I will," Luke soothed gently. "But you have to sit down before you fall down. I told you that I think you're concussed and I need to finish cleaning that cut on your forehead. I don't want it infected."

"I'm fine," she retorted, defiance still apparent in her, but her movements lacked strength. She was exhausted; the shock of the injury and the crash landing had worn her out.

"I'm not arguing with you," Luke said brusquely, his own battered emotions fluctuating underneath the strength of her hostility. "You're not fit to argue and you're in no danger here from me. Please try and remember that." Luke picked her up and easily carried her to his narrow bed. She didn't put up much of a struggle – she didn't have the energy. "Sleep," he said calmly, with a wave of his right hand.

"I don't…" Mara inexplicably found that her eyelids were incredibly heavy. She could hardly keep her eyes open. "What have you…done to…me?" she managed to demand, trying to fight against the inevitable. Her eyelids closed and Mara Jade fell soundly asleep. Luke had placed her in a Jedi healing trance. She was young, healthy and would heal quickly.

Luke stared at the girl lying in his bed. He had to finish cleaning and then healing the gash on her forehead before it left a permanent mark. It would be a pity for such perfection to be marred. He wasn't sure how she had managed to find him and Yoda when the whole might of the Imperial forces had attempted the exact same thing and failed. But she was intelligent, resourceful and persistent and the Force was strong in her. Luke did have a theory about that. It was possible that the Force was attempting to protect its own and had guided Mara Jade to Luke Skywalker. Perhaps it was another signal, another sign that his self-imposed isolation was at an end. The Force had allowed Mara to seek him out for a reason. He could ask her tomorrow but now she needed her rest.

He knew he should also rest because he hadn't slept much at all over the past few days. But he'd known that Yoda's end was near and had just spent time sitting by the old Jedi Master's bedside, catering to his needs, making him relax and finally, just watching him sleep. Luke was deathly tired but knew that his own sleep would be still be elusive. There were too many thoughts flying around inside his head. He was drawn to the woman lying slumbering in his bed. He knew that she didn't like him and, what's more, that she wanted to kill him. He had the feeling that she would tell him eventually why she was so set on his demise and that, ultimately, it involved Emperor Palpatine. With a heavy sigh, he placed a soft woollen blanket over her still form.

Luke had to do something, had to keep his hands busy. Despite his exhaustion he was not yet ready to rest. "Artoo," he called softly. Mara Jade was in a healing trance and wouldn't wake for some time but he was taking no chances. "The med kit is over beside you - could you bring it over?"

The little astromech droid beeped an assent and grabbed the med kit with his grappling arm, wheeling the short distance to hand it to his master.

"Thanks, little fella." Luke flipped open the kit and finished cleaning Mara's head wound. It had stopped bleeding but he had to make sure it was cleaned properly before applying a bacta regenerative patch. He inspected his handiwork thoroughly before letting his eyes drift over Mara herself.

Carefully Luke untied the band confining her tightly braided red-gold hair, loosening the strands through his fingers, washing the worst of the blood away. He'd never seen any being with such a wonderful colour of hair before. Her soft skin was a pale cream apart from the livid looking area around the gash on her forehead. It would get worse before it got better. Her pallor might have something to do with the manner of her arrival on Dagobah but Luke remembered their unexpected meeting in Il Avila City on Druckenwell, and how the pale cream of her complexion was tinted with rose. As for her eyes… Luke sighed like a man in the throes of a first crush. Her eyes were clear, cold and vividly green. How would they change with her moods? What would they be like when she was smiling? And would she ever smile at him? He would have to wait – and he might have to wait for a very long time but he had the feeling that it would be worth the wait.

He wondered at the reasons behind the light of constant anger in her green eyes. He hadn't done anything to her personally as far as he knew but he suspected that she blamed him solely for the death of Palpatine. If she were an Imperial sympathiser, which seemed likely, it was possible that she might have had family or colleagues present on one, or both of the Death Stars. Perhaps she had even been a member of an elite Imperial unit. Luke, with sudden insight, guessed that she could have been far closer to the Emperor than anyone had guessed. Her vendetta against one Luke Skywalker was extremely personal.

War of any kind wasn't pretty and the destruction of both battle stations would ultimately save more lives than it took. Alderaan had been one of the greatest tragedies the galaxy had ever seen and Luke knew that the Empire would not have stopped with that. Innocent or guilty, regardless of your point of view, Luke knew he had blood on his hands and was therefore prepared to spend the rest of his existence atoning for what he had done…even for the cause of good. Atonement can take many forms and Luke had resolved to honour Yoda's last wish and rebuild the Jedi. He would spend the rest of his life doing good.

The Jedi were needed in the galaxy again and Mara Jade had the ability to become a Jedi. The Force had to have had a reason to send her to him.

Artoo tootled a question and at the sound, Luke jerked around, his contemplation of Mara Jade broken. "What is it, Artoo?"

The droid repeated his query.

"Yes, she'll be fine. I put her into a healing trance. She banged her head and suffered a bit of a shock, that's all. Everything will be fine, Artoo." His shoulders slumped dispiritedly. He looked as lost as he felt. How could he go on alone?

The droid beeped mournfully, concerned at his young Master's sadness.

"Yes, Master Yoda has gone. It was his time to go. He was over nine hundred years old. So it was to be expected."

The astromech beeped another question.

"Me?" Luke's laugh was hollow. "I'll be fine, too. Not today, Artoo. I feel too raw today. Yes, little fella, my circuits are all twisted up inside." He managed a watery smile. "Perhaps tomorrow…maybe in a few days I'll feel that everything's all right again. But tonight, let me be sad and let me remember and honour my Master in the way that he should be honoured. He was my teacher, my Master, my inspiration and my friend. I would have died or slipped to the dark side without his wisdom."

Artoo rolled towards Luke and slid across one of the panels in his chest revealing a bottle of Corellian Whisky.

"Where did you get that?" Luke gaped at the bottle of spirit.

The astromech let forth a stream of excited data. He'd been planning this surprise for some time.

"You got it where?" Luke managed to say disbelievingly.

The droid chuckled and happily chirped his reply.

"Druckenwell spaceport cantina!" Luke's jaw dropped. "Artoo Detoo, you were supposed to be keeping an eye on my x-wing at all times, not procuring…alcohol. I'm not even certain that Jedi are supposed to drink. I guess I've got no one to tell me otherwise." The droid blatted a raspberry in return. "It's for emergencies and special occasions and you think that today is one of those. Which one is it exactly, Artoo?"

The droid beeped his opinion. He thought it was both.

The young Jedi shook his head wearily. Perhaps he should consider giving Artoo a memory wipe but he knew that he would never go through with it. But that was a new one, even on Luke. Droids procuring alcoholic beverages just in case it was needed by their masters? He reached in and grabbed the bottle. "Yes, Artoo, I think I deserve it too. Good idea." He was never giving Artoo a memory wipe – ever. The droid was miraculous.

He moved to a box of junk in the corner of the room and rifled through it until he found a glass. This particular glass had many memories attached to it. Wedge had handed it to him, filled with Corellian whisky, after the battle of Yavin and they had toasted both their victory and their fallen comrades. It had a thin crack in it now but he didn't think that the spirit would leak through. Luke had whimsically decided that the spirit tasted better. It was better than slugging it from the bottle. Aunt Beru would never have approved of him doing that although he'd done it in the past. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd had a drink.

He poured himself a generous splash of the amber coloured liquid and tentatively tasted it. Stars! He gave a little cough. This was powerful stuff. He had a couple of choices. He could get quietly drunk or he could get quietly drunk and read through some information on various ways of identifying those that were strong in the Force. Where could he find the recruits he needed? Yoda had been convinced that Mace Windu had left a precious list with names and locations. But if Palpatine with all his resources had been unable to find it, it was unlikely that Luke could manage that feat either. He sat down in front of his computer and pulled up his current reading. But his mind was on other things and his concentration was poor. It looked as if getting drunk was his only option. Luke poured more of the spirit into his glass and took another reckless swallow, wincing as his vision blurred.

He was alone now – the last of the Jedi on a world so isolated that almost no one had known of its existence. He would have to leave Dagobah now that Yoda had gone. There was nothing holding him here apart from fear of taking the next step. What if he wasn't any good at training Jedi? Would Mara Jade let him train her – would Leia take precious time out of government to gain jedi skills, the legacy from a father she wanted nothing to do with? The questions tumbled through his brain with increasing rapidity. He needed a place to go where he could train Jedi in peace. The spirit was getting easier to pour down his throat – it didn't burn so much now.

He had this bizarre and oddly disturbing image of himself trying to instruct a tribe of Yoda look-alikes all levitating above the lake he'd managed to crash his ship into the very first time he'd arrived on this isolated world. As they'd started to sink into the swamp they had all developed Darth Vader style helmets. There was a third option. He could just get totally drunk, forget everything and wakeup with a killer hangover. The idea of the suffering he would endure was tempting. Luke swallowed another mouthful of spirit. The third option was inevitable. He woozily assessed the amount of liquid remaining in the bottle. Dagobah wasn't suitable; even Yoda had admitted that much. His head began to droop wearily and, tired from grief, alcohol and lack of sleep, Luke Skywalker fell into slumber, his cheek resting on his arms on top of his makeshift desk.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Mara blinked open her eyes, stretched and yawned lethargically. She was lying on a narrow bunk, probably rebel standard issue, and in some sort of temporary shelter. For a split-second she had no recollection of where she was and how she had got there and her fingers began to fumble automatically for her blaster. But as she did so, her memories came flooding back. She had found him; she had found Skywalker. She stared blankly at the ceiling. Everything that had happened last night had been hazy. Had it been last night or had she been out for longer than that? A weak sunlight filtered through the aperture the rebels called a window. She'd crash landed on the planet – Dagobah - but couldn't remember much about the actual landing which was probably a good thing. Her ship? What had happened to her ship? Her ship might need repairs, she decided slowly, but it had to have landed in one piece. She was alive after all.

Carefully she ran an inventory of her body and then she gingerly raised her head to inspect her surroundings more thoroughly. Her head didn't ache as much as she'd thought it would but a dull throbbing pain was present. Her hand travelled from underneath the soft, warm woollen blanket, to her forehead, feeling the tightness of an adhesive bacta compress. She'd been given medical attention of some description. The Jedi had patched her up and put her to sleep too. A sudden thought had her lifting the blankets to check. She was still wearing all of her clothes. The strange events of the previous evening's drama came back to her with ever increasing swiftness.

_Yoda's death._

Yoda…she had met the legendary Master Yoda and he then had disappeared before her disbelieving eyes, but not before telling her to look after Skywalker and that her fight wasn't with him. '_Look after Skywalker_!' Mara begged to differ. Her fight was indeed with Skywalker and looking after him wasn't on her agenda. But he _had_ rescued her from the crash, welcomed her into his home, tended to her injuries and let her sleep. He'd been kind and very few people had been kind to Mara Jade over the years – not unless they'd wanted something from her. She'd learned to discern those to avoid at a very young age. Normally she never gave them the chance to try kindness. Such things made you weak.

She exhaled irritably. That was twice now that she had met Skywalker and on both occasion he had not matched the information holo of him that she'd learned over the years. Mara risked sitting up, recalling the way she'd felt the previous evening, but this time her head felt fine. It was then that she saw him; his back was towards her, his tousled, sandy head resting on top of his arms, slumped over his desk in sleep.

The unexpectedness of his sheer vulnerability took her by surprise and when her hands went to her waist to tighten her belt, Mara was astounded to find that he hadn't removed any of her weapons. Was the man a complete fool? He didn't behave like any mass murderer she had ever heard of and the constant doubt that had begun growing inside her since she'd felt the Emperor's death, augmented by her encounter with this man on Druckenwell when he'd ripped something from her mind, took another jump.

He'd done something to her head without her asking him to. He'd no right to do such a thing but she could feel the Force again and she couldn't help feeling glad about it.

Mara placed her feet on the floor and stood up silently. All she had to do was to slip her tiny blaster from its hidden wrist holster and fire into the back of Skywalker's unprotected neck and it would be all over. Her fingers twitched. All she had to do was squeeze the trigger and she would be free from the voices inside her head having finally avenged her master's death. She would be _free_. But she'd wanted him to see the face of his enemy; she wanted him to know that she, Mara Jade, was the one who had cut him down. Shooting him in the back was somehow cowardly.

The Jedi's head lifted but he didn't turn around and face her. "Go ahead and try it," he said calmly, his whole body motionless. "Don't think that because I am unprotected, I am without my defences." His voice was low and tired. "I am a Jedi Knight after all – a fully trained Jedi Knight."

Mara was speechless. He'd not turned to look at her and she'd made no sound but he'd known what she'd wanted to do.

"You were thinking very loudly."

"You read my mind?" Mara gasped, appalled at the sheer gall of the man.

"Of course I didn't read your mind," he replied tetchily, straightening up, horrified that she would even suggest such a thing. "I don't do that without the proper invitation. You were broadcasting your thoughts very loudly for any half-decent Force sensitive to hear in this and the next system. All I sensed was your intent. You were extremely hostile. Trespassing on the thoughts of others is something that Palpatine would have done. I am not like that." The feeling of hate shimmering in the air intensified. 'Interesting,' Luke thought and decided to push a little further. He turned his chair slowly to face her, his hands raised palms facing upwards. "Go ahead," he said. "Try it. I am unarmed."

Mara slipped the blaster from her wrist holster and levelled it at his defenceless chest, trying not to look at his face. If she looked into his blue eyes once more she would lose herself in the depth of pain. His face was beautiful but his eyes…they'd seen so much. There was such a profound intensity in those eyes.

'_You will kill Luke Skywalker!'_

The words rang loudly in Mara's ears, reminding her of her duty but she wasn't the only one who heard the command. Luke also jerked in his seat, his tired sad eyes widening in shock. She froze, her gaze darting around the room, her fingers slipping from the trigger and the blaster falling from her hand to lie uselessly at her feet.

"Are you…" Luke had to say something. He could feel the importance of these moments. If she chose to act, he would defend himself. If not, they had a chance – she had a chance. The future was always in motion and this was a critical point in time.

"I'm fine; it was nothing."

Luke's eyes narrowed shrewdly. "I heard that voice too and it was a lot more than 'nothing'. If you've got that in your head I'm not surprised you want to kill me." He knew that voice. It still haunted his nightmares and he'd never forget it – ever. When his defences were down he could see the hate-filled yellow eyes glaring inside him, trying to rip his innermost secrets from his heart and making him betray all those that he loved with bursts of blue Force lightening. "Have you heard it before?" he asked casually.

Mara's mouth tightened mutinously. "Once or twice," she admitted unwillingly.

"I see," he said thoughtfully. This was unexpected but not impossible to contemplate. Palpatine was still trying to kill him from beyond the grave and using this young woman to do it. But Luke needed her to tell him exactly what her connection to the Emperor was because there was a connection and it was a powerful one. He had to break that connection before she harmed them both.

He recalled the dark barrier that he had removed from her mind on Druckenwell. This had been placed deliberately in order to block her natural ability to use the Force. She'd been left with enough innate ability to become a useful slave for Palpatine but not enough to progress further. Luke was convinced that Mara could become a great Jedi. The strength was undoubtedly there. "Who was that?" he asked quietly. "Do you know and if so, can you tell me?"

"I don't know what you mean."

Luke sighed and shook his head gently. So she _was_ still loyal to Palpatine. Many of his questions were answered and yet, it brought up even more. "I think that you do. I heard that voice as clearly as you did and I think I know who it belongs to."

"Then if you know, oh mighty Jedi," she spat, her words dripping with disdain, "there's no point in me wasting my breath telling you."

Luke's brow furrowed with concern and he winced at the pain in his head. What had he been thinking? Drinking so much alcohol when he was unused to it was extremely foolish. He wasn't ready for a confrontation with this thermal detonator of a woman, not when he'd just lost his friend and Master, not when he was hurting so much inside. He could feel her anger and her hate rising again. Luke's head dropped. He had the feeling that he was going to get one anyway. "I would like you to tell me please," he said. "Keeping these things bottled inside can only lead to frustration, anger and ultimately to suffering. That leads to the dark side of the Force."

"I'm going to kill you." Mara's fingers trembled, her eyes flashing hatred.

"You, Mara?" Luke queried, keeping his voice calm as if he were speaking to a wild animal. He wanted to push her to her limits – he had to find out why she was the way she was. He hadn't wanted to do it exactly this minute but it seemed the Force had other ideas. "Is it _you_ that wants to kill me or is it really Palpatine?"

"Me."

"Are you sure?" Luke stretched out his hand and the tiny blaster rose from the floor and rested in the palm of his hand. He held it out to her.

Mara stared at him in disbelief, her eyes widening at the ease with which her weapon flew into his fingers. Was she _sure_?

"Why do you want to kill me?" Luke was now convinced that the Emperor was behind this. He marvelled that someone who had been dead for nearly four years was still ruining the life of every one he'd come across, this young woman included, keeping her mired in bitterness and anger. He could understand Palpatine's need for revenge on Luke but what had this woman done to deserve such pain.

"Why!" Her voice rose, a hysterical edge creeping into it. "You ask me _why_?"

"If you're going to kill me, Mara Jade, it would be nice to know what I'm going to be eradicated for. It's only good manners. Something I was brought up to take into consideration." Luke knew he shouldn't have said that but he had to push her a little further. She did not like the idea that he could be mocking her. He placed the blaster onto the table beside his bed. "Or do you want me to take an educated guess? I _was_ educated." He managed a tired grin, forestalling the comment he sensed was on the tip of her tongue. "Tatooine had a very good learning programme."

"The Emperor was my Master," she spat bitterly; her eyes dark with pain. "And you killed him. You and Vader turned on him together and killed him. I saw it all."

Luke sat up a little straighter. "The Emperor was your Master?" he repeated. This was beginning to sound like the situation between a Jedi Master and his apprentice but for the dark side of the Force. He didn't sense that she was dark – angry but not dark. "You were there?" His voice shook, the calm he was projecting suddenly appeared to be a little thin. They had been alone in the throne room on the second Death Star, just him, his father and Palpatine. There hadn't been anyone else with them in that room. He would have known. He would have felt another Force strong presence.

"I was his Hand, his faithful servant. I could hear his call from anywhere in the galaxy and do his bidding. I could go places, deal with situations and do things that other agents could not. He was like a father to me and you killed him. You killed him," she repeated desperately. "I saw what you and Vader did together, through the eyes of my Master as he died." She grabbed her blaster, running her fingers over its graceful contours. "He was pleading for your mercy and you cut him down."

"No. It's not true. I did not kill him." Luke denied softly, shocked at how Palpatine was controlling this girl, enslaving her to his will, even after his death. "It's a lie."

"It's no lie. You did…" she maintained brokenly. "I saw it."

"What you saw was a lie. At the very time of his death Palpatine fed you a lie. It didn't happen that way….believe me." Luke tried to explain, wondering if this situation was getting out of hand. He was sure he had the means to stop this but wasn't sure how he could make her believe him – she wasn't ready. She had to believe him with both her heart and her mind equally. Currently it was neither.

Mara hunched her shoulders, not looking at the young Jedi. "I only ever failed him once and that cost me everything."

"Failed him?"

Loathing rang in her voice. "You."

"Me?" Luke queried curiously.

"Jabba's palace. I was sent to kill you and I failed."

"Ah." He had not sensed her then at all but he'd had other things on his mind. There was a lesson to be learned there somewhere. He would meditate on it at a later time.

"I will not fail now." She tightened her grip on the blaster and lifted it higher. "I will fulfil my Master's last command and I will succeed."

"But if you kill me, you will be creating a great wrong. Many will attempt to apprehend you for what you would do to me. When does the killing stop? Who has the right to decide?"

"I will have justice on my side." Mara was adamant.

"No, you do not. I did not kill your Master," Luke repeated doggedly. "Yes, I was there and I saw him die but I was in no position to finish off anyone. I was a half-trained Jedi. He had me helpless on the ground while he spewed Force lightening from his fingertips. How could I kill the most powerful man in the galaxy? I did not kill him. I could not kill him. I wasn't strong enough and that's something which still haunts me today." He stared directly into her green eyes. "I will deny that accusation of his murder with my last breath. I did not kill him."

The first hint of uncertainty crossed her mind. Palpatine had been very powerful. There had been none as powerful. "You are lying."

"No. I do not lie." Luke folded his arms.

Mara paused, the doubt creeping back into her mind. She'd been so certain of his guilt but most of what he had said to her so far was true. Her Master had once been the most powerful being in the galaxy, ruling that galaxy until he had met his death. But Mara had seen something the Emperor wanted to keep hidden. He had been frightened of this 'boy' – why? Was it his power? But he wasn't a boy now and her Master's underestimation of Luke Skywalker had been Palpatine's undoing. Her mind spun feverishly seeking answers. "You…and Vader joined together. You were not strong enough to face him alone so you had to do it together."

"That would possibly be true but there are still things that don't add up. Vader hunted me for years and it was he who turned me over into the clutches of the Emperor on Endor. There are things you don't know about Palpatine, Vader and…and me."

"I know enough. I know everything that I want to know." She could prove it. "I know about Vader's offer to you on Bespin."

"What!" Luke exclaimed hoarsely. "But no one knew – no one. I told no one – not even Master Yoda."

"The Emperor knew," Mara said smugly. "My master knew of Vader's traitorous ways."

Luke stood up and turned away from her. "Did your master tell you that I refused Vader's offer?"

"Vader made a mistake in relieving you of your hand. It was hardly likely to make you amenable to his proposal at that time. You changed your mind later on." She raised the blaster and Luke could feel it pointing at him.

"If you fire at me," he said sadly, his hand moving imperceptibly to his belt, as he turned back to face her, "I have learned a technique that will stop the blaster bolt from hitting me. It would give me enough time to defend myself. If you kill me, you will never learn what you want to know – you will never learn the truth. I will never be able to train you as a Jedi, the way that you should be."

"A Jedi!" she spat. "Why would I want to be trained as one of those?"

"Because in the days of the Old Republic you would have been identified at birth? Because you want it…"

"I don't," she interrupted.

Luke shook his head. "You do. You have always wanted to be fully trained in the Jedi arts. You want to be able to command the Force and wield a lightsaber. The most important thing of all, you have the strength and power to do so." Luke could feel Mara's emotions spiralling out of control as again she dropped the blaster, lifted under her tunic and brought forth a silver cylinder, one which made Luke blanch with shock.

"Where did you get…? How?" His words dried up. It was his first lightsaber. The one that Obi-Wan had kept for him, the one that had belonged to his father, the one he'd lost with his right hand.

"The Emperor kept it on Coruscant," her voice was cold, deadly, back under control. "I collected it on my last visit there and I can use it."

She'd managed to regain some semblance of restraint and Luke was impressed. He was quite sure she could use the saber. He could hear the inescapable ring of truth in her voice. "I'm sure you can. That lightsaber has an interesting history. It belonged to my father before me and Obi-Wan Kenobi kept it until I was ready," he said softly. "Making my new one was one of my last tests as a Jedi apprentice. Before reaching knighthood, the padawan learner constructs their own lightsaber."

'_Give this to the son of Skywalker.'_ Mara suddenly remembered the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn she had seen in the remains of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. "Your father was a Jedi Knight?"

So she knew that much. How much more information was she privy to? "My father, Anakin, was a Jedi. There are things that you've not been told – important things." He took a deep breath, ready to divulge the secret of his parentage to her and then paused. He was not alone in this; there were others in his family he had to consider. Leia would need to be consulted first.

'Anakin', Mara thought, where had she seen that name before? And then she remembered. It was on one of the files Ghent had given her and she'd ignored it. She still had the information somewhere – it was probably in amongst the files and data cards that she brought with her. If not, it was on her desk on Coruscant. "And you would tell me?" She shook her head. It wasn't as if she was interested in what he had to say.

Luke stood up, sensing that she had calmed down and that the danger was over for the moment but not gone forever. Mara Jade was a complex and dangerous individual with a long journey ahead of her. "I did not kill the Emperor," he said finally. "I don't lie, especially about something as important as that but there are things in my past I cannot tell you about yet. It is your choice whether you give me a chance to eventually tell you."

Mara bit her lip and nodded. She did not want to believe him but everything she felt in his presence contradicted what the Emperor had told her about him. Luke Skywalker felt warm and full of light. Palpatine had raised her, she couldn't remember her real family, but he'd been cold and forbidding. He had taught her to be strong. This warmth, this caring that Skywalker projected was weakness.

"Your sister misses you," she said.

Luke closed his eyes, longing sweeping through him. "Sweet Leia," he murmured. He opened his eyes and stared at Mara. "You've met Leia?" Mara had impressed him yet again. How had she managed with all the security surrounding his sister to get close enough to Leia? Then the credit clicked into place. "Sister!"

Mara's lips curved into the facsimile of a smile. "An interesting little secret that one. I found it out quite easily. I gained access to both your medical files."

"I'm not going to ask how you got near those. Mine is rather full." He gave her a shy grin, which she ignored. So she had found out about his connection to Leia but not to Vader.

"You do seem to be rather accident prone."

"People keep trying to kill me for some reason." His eyes were wide and innocent as if he had no idea why.

Mara shot him a haughty look at his pathetic attempt at humour. "Your Corellian smuggler friend hired the services of my boss and he despatched me specifically to find you."

"Han hired you. I might have known." He shook his head, a smile on his lips. "So you found me." Luke could imagine Han running out of patience and Leia needing to find him but also wanting to do what was right for Luke – what he wanted her to do.

"You're not an easy man to find. Your family have had people searching for you for a long time now."

"Does Leia know that our relationship is out in the open?"

"It's not exactly out," Mara said reluctantly. "I confronted Organa with my knowledge of the familial connection and she ran straight to spill the news to Mon Mothma." She grinned sardonically at Luke. "I suspect she thought that I might run to the first holo-hack journalist and blab my findings all over the holo net. Your secret, for the moment, is safe with me. Your sister wants you home and so does Solo. Sometimes I get the impression that he misses your company more than Leia does. However, it was Leia that informed me where she thought you were hiding and I discovered roughly where the planet was located."

"Dagobah isn't on any of the charts."

Mara smiled. "Not the current ones – no." She shrugged. "But if you research the history of hyperspace travel and view the earliest charts – Dagobah is there. It exists just waiting to be found."

"I'm impressed," Luke murmured lightly.

Mara eyed him suspiciously. "I don't understand why you just disappeared."

"I had to do this," he shrugged, noting that Mara had called the princess 'Leia' with an easy familiarity. "You wouldn't understand."

"I might," she said sardonically, giving him the first hint of her dry sense of humour.

"Perhaps."

"I can't really see you enjoying the limelight. But I think it has more to do with the strange green guy who just disappeared in front of me."

Luke's mouth tightened and Mara felt another wave of anguish sweep through her. She was actually feeling Skywalker's emotions.

"Maybe I understand more than you think. But you are ready to be found now aren't you?"

Luke reckoned that he'd just been given a stay of execution but it had hurt when she'd mentioned Yoda. "Yes, I suppose I am. But now that my master is dead, I'm not sure where to go or what to do next."

"Return to your family." Mara held out the silver cylinder. "Your lightsaber – this belongs to you."

"Keep it."

"But it's yours. It belonged to your father, you said."

Luke indicated the similar device hanging from his belt. "I already have one – my own. I don't need two. I want you to have it."

"What about your sister?"

Luke shook his head wryly. "Trust me when I say that Leia won't want anything to do with that particular lightsaber." She still hadn't accepted their parentage, he knew. But she was acknowledging him as her brother and that was a step forward.

"But…" Mara was dumbfounded. She still wanted to see him dead and he was giving her his father's lightsaber.

"It's important that you have it," Luke said stubbornly. "I just have a feeling…" He closed his mouth, pressing together his lips tightly. He didn't know why he felt so certain about it. Mara needed to have that lightsaber. "Believe me, Leia will not want this. She has enough to deal with at the moment."

"Important for whom?" Mara wondered aloud.

"Are you hungry?" Luke asked ignoring her question. He didn't think that she was expecting an answer.

"What!" Mara felt that she'd got a little lost in the conversation.

"I asked if you were hungry."

"I…"

"I'll go and make us something to eat and Mara…"

"Yes?"

"Next time you are reading my medical records, you might wonder why my skeletal structure was diagnosed as having extreme calcification of a rare type brought on by exposure to electrical and other energy fields less than twenty four hours after the death of Palpatine."

He gave her a nod and disappeared into Yoda's hut leaving her standing watching him in amazement. And he was still alive – she hadn't killed him.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_


	21. Chapter 21

**Out of the Shadows 21**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title and for Michele and Licia for taking the time to read.

**Cloud** **City** – **Bespin**

There was a faint mechanical humming in the air, as well as the customary smell of antiseptic as Lando Calrissian hurriedly walked into the bright whiteness of the intensive care unit at Cloud City Medical.

"You called me?" he asked his cyborg aide, Lobot. "I thought that everything was under control."

The bald-headed man did not turn from his observation of what was taking place on the other side of the transparisteel barrier. "Normally I would not interrupt but…"

"Is this the victim?" Lando stared through the clear partition at the vulnerable figure lying on the operating table.

"Yes, Lando. I was interfacing with the Cloud City computer when the distress call was logged."

"And you chose to deal with it personally?"

"Yes, Lando." The cyborg's face remained impassive as he slowly turned to face his boss. "I did."

"Why?"

Lobot's limited vocabulary struggled to explain. "He is not considered to be a normal human by many parameters. "

"Not considered normal?" Lando crossed his arms in front of his chest. "In what way?"

"He is considered to be different."

"And he was attacked because of this?" Lando didn't find Lobot's explanation particularly helpful.

"Yes."

"What's happening now?" Lando gestured towards the figure of the 2-IB and his FX assistant droids hovering around the motionless human.

"He is fixing what was broken."

"Do we know who the old man was?"

"Is, Lando - is. The man is not dead. He is still alive." Lights flashed on the device attached to Lobot's shiny bald head. "He is a tibanna gas prospector and his name is Streen."

"Streen, eh!" Lando tapped his fingers together lightly, thinking hard. "I've heard the name before. Where and why have I heard his name before?"

"His name is legendary amongst the beings that scour Bespin for riches."

"_That_ is Streen?" Lando recalled where he had heard the name before. This man should be one of the wealthiest beings in the galaxy. The Fx medical assistant droid wheeled away carrying a pile of shapeless, colourless garments to the incinerator in one of its many arms. "He doesn't look like a successful entrepreneur to me. He appears more like a beggar off the streets and we don't have many of them in Cloud City. I've tried to get him to meet me on many occasions. What does he do with the credits he makes?"

"Gives them away."

"Vader's black helmet!" Lando exclaimed. "You _are_ joking?"

"No, Lando. I do not joke. He keeps enough to live on and gives the rest away. I don't know where or to what." The lights on Lobot's headpiece flashed in a set sequence. "He was found on Tibannopolis."

Lando sighed. "They probably thought that they'd killed him. The dead don't willingly tell tales. Was he alone?"

"Yes. His attackers – whoever they were – had left."

"Will he recover?"

"Yes. He was fortunate."

"Why exactly did you call me?" Lando asked wearily, checking his jewelled wrist chrono, his interest waning. He'd been indulging in the luxury of what he'd hoped would be an uninterrupted sleep cycle. Someone had beaten up an old man who had obviously been unable to defend himself. He wasn't the first and would not be the last. It was a rough galaxy out there. But such occurrences were rare on Bespin. Too many of the inhabitants had run from some other place and didn't want to draw unwelcome attention to themselves. Lando rubbed his face tiredly, willing himself to stay awake. There was definitely something he was missing. "Was it because this old hermit-gas prospector was found nearly beaten to death on Tibannopolis and not on Bespin?" he wondered aloud.

Lobot's face didn't change its blank expression but there was a sense of something incomprehensible in his voice. "No."

"It's a wonder he was found at all," Lando mused quietly, his dark eyes fixed on the still figure. "I thought Tibannopolis was deserted now – a ghost town."

"He managed to call for help and someone passing picked him up."

"Someone passing!" Lando let out another exasperated sigh. "No one just passes Tibannopolis – not any more. But why contact me over this? Usually security deals with this type of incident."

"He is still alive, Lando." Lobot was unable to explain the need to give this piece of information again to his boss.

"So he is – you said that." The Baron-Administrator of Bespin's Cloud City watched the droid work on the old man before turning away. "Streen," he muttered. "Streen."

Lobot's speech centres had exhausted their limited patterns of conversation. But he tried to make the dark skinned man understand that something important still had to be said. "When he awakes, you must communicate." The cyborg gave a small bow and left Lando staring at the old man's fragile form being transferred by floatation bed from the operating theatre to the recovery ward.

'Streen,' he thought again, his brow furrowing contemplatively. He now remembered who the old man was. But why had he been so savagely attacked? He had never harmed anyone as far as Lando was aware. Moving to a computer terminal he punched the old man's name into it with an impatient finger. For a moment nothing happened and then the computer began to spit out various pieces of information including a grainy holo of an old man with unkempt grey hair who squinted warily into the camera and then shuffled away out of sight.

This poor old man was a _cloud_ prospector. According to the report he lived alone on the abandoned shell of Tibannopolis and waited until a lucrative cloud of volatile gases burst forth from Bespin. Lando frowned, chewing his lip as a piece of information on the screen gave him pause for thought. This was interesting – very interesting.

At certain times in the lunar cycle, depending on where you looked, a storm or a deep atmospheric upheaval made the gases belch upwards where they were siphoned off. Streen searched the skies above Bespin in a primitive vessel for his reward.

Lando pursed his lips. His own company had computerised satellites in place that detected these surges and dispatched his own men to collect the gas when the data indicated a surge. There were several other companies ruthless in their pursuit of the wealth Tibanna gas could bring. But frequently, Streen managed to get there first, long before any of the others. It was as if he knew that a particular cloud was going to discharge its treasure at that exact moment. The old man worked on his own and had little or no equipment. How could he know exactly when the gas would burst forth?

There was only one real answer to the conundrum. Streen had to have worked out a failsafe method of detecting the gases. Other less scrupulous beings had somehow discovered the old man's secret and had tried to persuade him to share that knowledge. Streen must have refused and paid the price.

Lando knew that he should do something about Tibannopolis. It had once hoped to rival Cloud City but some past war had turned the place into a deserted, rusting shell. No one lived there now, just an old man and several hundred colonies of rawwks. Even the Ugnaughts had considered the listing city to be beneath their notice. Anything of value had been looted long ago. It was nothing more than a piece of floating scrap.

He peered at some data which had appeared before him on the screen. "He reads the wind!" he said aloud. "That's how he predicts the gas eruption? By reading the wind? How can someone read the wind?" Streen would have to be a Jedi or something similar to have such abilities. The way he could predict the gas surges was uncanny…like magic or…the Force.

Lando straightened up and paused for thought. Could this old man be able to tap into the Force? Was he… _a Jedi?_

Lobot had said that Streen 'was not like other humans'. Lando swivelled sharply on his heels and headed towards the recovery room. "Doctor!" he said peremptorily.

"Yes, Baron-Administrator Calrissian," the droid answered evenly.

"Keep the patient here until he is fully healed…and I mean fully healed."

"Of course."

"Good. Inform me when he's regained consciousness. Do not let him leave the med bay until I have spoken with him. Keep him under guard…for his own safety, of course, if you have to."

"Certainly, Baron-Administrator Calrissian."

Lando moved quickly back to his office and switched on his computer terminal. "Contact Princess Leia Organa on Coruscant for me, please."

Leia had said that when her brother returned to civilisation he would be looking for potential Jedi recruits and she'd put out a notice to that effect just a couple of months earlier. That was if Luke did come back. He'd been gone a long time without any intimation of a return date and Lando had received the impression from the young Jedi before he left that Luke didn't want to be at the beck and call of the New Republic any longer. Still, Leia seemed so sure that he'd come back. So did Han for that matter.

If Streen had Jedi abilities Luke might want to speak to the guy. It couldn't hurt to let the princess know.

The computer's smooth voice announced pleasantly, "Your call, Baron."

"Leia!" His voice became smoother as he turned on his legendary charisma.

"Lando, what can I do for you?" Leia's voice was dry, her way of countering Lando's unctuous charm.

"You are truly as beautiful and gracious as ever. Han's a lucky man."

"I'm sure he knows that," Leia said smoothly, resisting the urge to shake her head and laugh. Lando meant to be charming.

"I'm sure that he does. However the reason I'm calling is that this time, it's what I can do for you."

A favour from Lando? Leia cocked her head to one side. "I'm listening."

"Well, your highness, I think I've found a potential Jedi candidate for you."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Coruscant**

"_Be ready my hand. Death shall not stop me."_

"_Yes, my master."_

"_You must prevent the Jedi from rising again."_

"_I will obey. They will fail."_

"_They would seek out your kind and destroy you without mercy if unchecked."_

"_They will not be allowed that luxury. They will die, paying for their many crimes against you, my Emperor, and your glorious empire."_

"_I will return when you have prepared the way for my coming. The power of the dark side has been weakened. It needs to grow strong again. You know what to do…the signal will awake those who serve."_

"_I do and will make the necessary preparations."_

"_Chaos fosters desperation, fear and suffering, allowing the dark side to rebuild itself. Make your way to my stronghold and wait for me there when the time is right. I will contact you again when I am ready but for now I must regain my strength."_

"_Of course, my Master."_

"_You must travel to where my power grows," the voice thundered inside her head._

"_Your seat of power?" she asked in confusion. She was already there. Coruscant was still her home._

"_The true place I call my home."_

_Understanding dawned. The Emperor's world - Byss._

"_The time is not yet right." The voice hissed._

"_I have already begun to make my preparations. Master…"_

_I hope these are necessary to our plans."_

"_They are, my Master."_

"_I sense some conflict within you. You do not doubt our cause?"_

"_No, but…"_

"_Speak, my hand. I sense your uncertainty."_

"_There is another."_

"_Another!"_

She had once thought that she'd been the only one of her kind until logic and reason had prevailed. Palpatine had sent her throughout the galaxy doing his bidding but she'd maintained the cover of her chosen profession. It now made perfect sense that he had others also willing to serve him. Certainly he had been all powerful but it was still not physically possible for him to be in every place in the galaxy. She hadn't suspected, until recently, that there were others still alive. What had they been doing while she toiled to avenge her Master? Why had they deserted him in his hour of need? He had taught her that death was merely another step in life and that he would return to drive the usurpers from the Imperial throne and once again rule from his magnificent palace in the heart of the jewel of the galaxy.

"_Seek out this being."_

"_I will, my Master."_

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Dagobah**

Tired and fretful after her accident and subsequent dealings with the young Jedi, Mara had retired to her cabin on board her ship, but sleep was a long time coming. When it finally arrived, she slept fitfully, tossing and turning as strange images flitted through her mind.

"_Mara!"_

She was back at the lake where she'd first glimpsed Luke Skywalker, a place she now recognised as being on Dagobah, the place she and her ship were now residing. But it wasn't the Jedi's compact, muscular figure that she could see before her. It was the older Jedi, the one who had appeared to her once before on Coruscant - Qui Gon Jinn. Mara was reluctantly coming to the conclusion that her future was to be linked to the Jedi in some way or another and it was a little confusing to say the least.

"_Mara!"_

"Qui-Gon Jinn." Mara mumbled his name in her sleep.

"_The son of Skywalker needs your help."_

"I have to kill him," she whispered. This was a dream – it had to be. Mara began to fight her way out of her sleep. If it wasn't going to be restful, she might as well wake herself up. But she was held where she was in the strange limbo between sleep and wakefulness.

"_No, the Sith have poisoned your mind and destroyed your memories. Seek the truth; it is in your power to do so."_

Her eyes snapped open. "You could just tell me and put me out of my misery."

"_Would you believe me? I think not."_

Damn! She was awake now and this Qui-Gon Jinn was still there. It wasn't just a dream. "No one has poisoned my mind."

"_The Emperor did. Who are your parents, Mara Jade? Where did you come from? You are not an evil person at heart. Why did Palpatine raise you to be like this? Are you happy and are you free?" _Qui-Gon's face was full of sorrow. "_Where are you going with your life, Mara? What is your future to be?"_

"I don't know but at least I have one."

"_Let the boy help you and you will have a future."_

"Skywalker! Why should I?"

"_It is the will of the Force, Padawan." _

Mara's eyes began to feel very heavy and fluttered closed. She tossed uneasily in her narrow bunk as the vision faded and finally, she lay quiet and still.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"_Think you that she listened, Qui-Gon?"_

"_I don't know, Master Yoda."_

"_Feels much for her the boy does. Important to him she is."_

"_But he's only just met her." _

"_Long ago in his mind knew her he did. Hope for her he has. Trust him we must. Succeeded the boy did despite our fears. His father he is **not**."_

"_I never doubted him."_ Another voice entered the conversation.

"_My padawan," _Qui-Gon Jinn's mouth tilted upwards in a smile_, "…likes to have the last word."_

"_Is that such a bad thing?" _Obi-Wan asked whimsically_. "But I have to say that this time; the boy is taking a risk."_

"_Took a risk with him we did,"_ Yoda said slowly. "_In his hands the Jedi are. Help him she will."_

"_I agree," _Qui-Gon's measured tones said evenly. "_Palpatine's teachings have confused her but she is not evil. There is a pureness of heart within her."_

"_In that goodness, hope we must."_ Yoda's face lifted to the two former Jedi that stood with him. "_Like his father he is. For love her he does."_

"_His love is different – will be different,"_ Obi-Wan said firmly as if he was trying to convince himself as well as the other two Jedi Masters.

Yoda sighed. "_Difficult times ahead has he. Told you I did, like his father he is and love he does but also his father he is not."_

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Mara opened her eyes and stared up at the rivet-studded ceiling of her cabin in _The Lucky Strike. _Another strange dream! She'd been on this strange world of silvery white mists and deceptively deep swamps for two whole days and for a supposedly extinct order, the Jedi she'd found were still alive – well, one of them was. Yoda had lingered long enough to check her over as if she was some sort of specimen before disappearing.

The old Jedi Master's demise had nothing to do with Mara's arrival on Dagobah, more's the pity. Her Master would have been exceedingly pleased with her had she managed to rid the galaxy of Yoda.

Skywalker had suspected he was holding on for something and had decided, in what she concluded had to be a typical Jedi addle-brained fashion, that the reason was her. Yoda wanted to see her and talk to her. He was even nerf enough to suggest it. He was lucky to still be alive. She'd taken one look at his handsome face and had been tempted to finish him off for good.

She might surprise Karrde, Solo and Organa yet and return Skywalker to his people. It would be enough to finish off the New Republic from the inside. If she returned the Jedi it would prove something to them all. She could be objective enough not to kill an enemy if it was better for her and Karrde that he was left alive. She'd never met anyone like him before in her entire life and she'd flown the galaxy from one end to the other in service of the Emperor and met many strange beings. The man was a distraction, she thought.

Her hand moved to the bacta patch Skywalker had insisted remain to cover her head wound. It wasn't throbbing now; the dull ache she'd felt earlier had completely vanished. Whatever he'd done, along with the bacta's cure, must have worked. He'd also watched her anxiously all evening and as soon as she'd begun to visibly wilt in front of him, he'd offered her his bed again.

"Where will you sleep?" Mara had asked. There had been something rather unsettling about lying in the Jedi's bed. But there hadn't been the slightest hint of impropriety. Skywalker was genuinely concerned over her welfare. Did the Jedi…well…indulge in carnal pleasures? Mara immediately slammed the lid down on those thoughts.

"I can manage," he said quietly. "You're the one with the bang on the head."

He'd been strangely withdrawn all evening. Mara supposed it was understandable. He'd just lost his friend and Jedi Master and, to add to his turmoil, Mara had managed to threaten him with his old lightsaber – one which, by rights, he'd probably thought that he would never see again. Yes, she thought, reminders of a traumatic experience like that would make anyone a little more subdued. Maybe he thought she was going to produce his hand as well. No chance of that. It had been taken away and dissected and the data stored. That was why she'd been able to discover his relationship to Leia Organa so easily.

Mara supposed it would be a shock to see once again the weapon that had once been clutched in your own hand as it had been severed from your wrist and had last been seen disappearing down a shaft on Cloud City. But Skywalker had survived the duel with Darth Vader with nothing but a replacement hand and perhaps a few mental scars. Very few managed to remain amongst the living when engaged in combat with Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith.

He'd handed her a plate of something which she'd eaten without really tasting it. It hadn't been unpleasant. Whatever it was, she supposed it was nutritious and filling. She had learned over the past few years to eat when food was available and not mind too much how it tasted. They'd both been full of their own thoughts and the awkward conversation had been sparse. But Mara still couldn't help feeling an unwilling liking for the man and the idea gnawed at her mind. She'd never been disloyal to her master but more and more she got the idea that perhaps her perspective wasn't from a truly neutral stance. She could understand that but suppose she'd been wrong?

_No! _Her mind trained by Palpatine since early childhood rebelled at the idea. "I want to check on my ship," she said shortly.

"It's satisfactory. Or it will be with a little fine tuning."

"You've looked at my ship!" Mara said stiffening. She'd not given him permission to do so but concern won over her outrage. "How bad is it?"

"Nothing serious," Luke said reassuringly, giving her that smile which was supposed to comfort but ended up setting Mara's teeth on edge. She didn't want to like him, damn it!

"Why don't I trust you?"

Luke shrugged. "It's your suspicious nature. What have I got to gain by lying to you?" He began tidying away their utensils. "Not a thing."

He had her there. What, indeed. She couldn't think of a single thing but there had to be something. In her experience, people just weren't that altruistic.

"Do you want me to lie to you?"

"No," she said shortly.

"I can if you want me to but I'm not very good at it and I don't think you'll believe me." Luke suddenly grinned, the smile lighting up his reserved face, revealing exactly how young he was. She'd read all the reports. He had to be about the same age as she was. "Come on," Luke said. The smile died from his lips, as she continued to stare searchingly into his face. "I'll take you to it. You won't settle until you've seen for yourself, will you?"

"It's Karrde's ship. I have to make sure I return it in one piece."

Luke's expression lightened again. "Sure," he murmured. "One piece. It was intact when it landed but the insides might have been shaken up a little bit. Sort of like its pilot."

Once there, she'd seen that he had indeed told the truth. What's more, he claimed to be able to fix the minor problems her ship had suffered with its rougher than desired entry into the planet's atmosphere. She'd lost complete control as the ship had hurtled downwards. It should be a mass of twisted metal with its pilot a broken corpse but instead, she was alive and the ship sat at the edge of what was apparently a rather deceptive looking lake, the water lapping gently at the edge of the entry ramp.

"I'll sleep here," she decided, as Luke ushered her up the ramp.

"Are you sure?"

Mara glanced into the cockpit and wandered towards the crew area, Luke at her heels. "Yes. Everything is intact that I need."

Luke frowned.

"I'm not planning to fly out of here yet," Mara murmured.

"I would not advise it," Luke said gently. "You need to rest at least another twenty-four hours and then we do a complete systems check on your vessel."

Her face clouded. "Another twenty-four hours!"

"At least," he stated firmly. "It is safe enough where it is and the repairs should be minor."

"You seem so certain," Mara said quietly.

"I caught the ship," Luke answered matter-of-factly. "Therefore the damage was minimal."

You _caught_ the ship?" Mara arched a red gold eyebrow disbelievingly. "Sure you did."

"I slowed its trajectory using the Force until it landed safely. So yes, I caught it."

He hadn't said it but he didn't have to. She knew that she could have died if he hadn't been ready. "I was waiting for you."

"You knew I was coming?" Mara gasped. "How could you know that?"

"We've met before," Luke said simply.

"In Il Avila City on Druckenwell – I remember." Mara's voice was low and husky. She remembered so much about such a brief encounter. The clear colour of his eyes as they darkened to a navy hue, the way that he'd held her close against his hard body. Oh, yes. She remembered things about their brief meeting on Druckenwell, in ways that she shouldn't be thinking about.

Luke's eyes darkened as his voice lowered. "I sensed your presence and I've seen you..."

"Seen me?" She stared into his face, searching for the truth. They'd only met once, how could he have seen her?

"In my dreams."

Mara opened her mouth and then closed it again. He had experienced similar visions to hers?

"You will come to no harm here tonight. Perhaps it is a good thing to be surrounded by what is more familiar." He gave her an oddly formal little bow. "I will see you tomorrow."

Mara watched his compact grey-clad figure vanish between the trees, leaving her alone and wondered at the strange feeling of loneliness. Straightening her spine, Mara shut the door release, secured it and made for her bunk, tiredness overwhelming her.

She must have slept far longer than she usually did. Mara raised her head groggily, the last of the sleep clearing from her system. The chrono mounted on the wall showed galactic time. It wasn't much use on Dagobah. With a muttered curse, Mara sat upright and swung her legs to the floor. She'd left her own wrist chrono on the small table in the corner of the cabin. Her original estimation of the time was correct. She _had_ slept far longer than she usually did and the nature of her dreams returned to her. Was it a dream, the appearance of Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn, or was it more - a vision perhaps? He'd seemed a little transparent but real enough on Coruscant and he'd interacted with her. They'd had a real conversation despite the Jedi platitudes.

_The_ _Lucky Strike _boasted a small but efficient cleansing station and, with Dagobah's plentiful precipitation filling her water tank, Mara was able to indulge in a proper water shower after removing the bacta patch and carefully washing her hair. The area around the wound was healing rapidly but still a little tender to touch. Dressing quickly, she ignored the bruises covering her fair skin, finally pulling on a dark green combat tunic and leggings. Munching on a ration bar, she slapped the door release. It was time to see what Skywalker was up to.

Dagobah wasn't a silent world by any means. It didn't have cities or even an isolated outpost boasting some sort of monitoring technology but instead it was busy with millions upon millions of life forms all making their own contribution to its ecosystem. The mist curled upwards from the damp, marshy ground and close by an unidentified creature called throatily to its mate. Mara irritably slapped away an insect that decided it might like to feast on her soft flesh.

The walk to Skywalker's camp only took minutes but Mara arrived to find it deserted. Had he left her – had he actually gone and left her here on her own? Would he dare? It was the sneaky underhanded kind of thing that a Jedi would do. He didn't want to die. For a moment the thought did cross her mind that he'd left but the little she had observed of his nature made her think that he wouldn't do that. Her green gaze took in the sight of his shabby x-wing still sitting delaminating in the damp air of the miserable Dagobah climate. There had to be better places to make yourself a home.

Who was the real Luke Skywalker? Mara hadn't quite decided yet. 'Know your enemy,' she reflected soberly. It was something her tutors had drilled into her at every chance they got and she'd thought that she did know her enemy. She'd amassed reams of information on the fair-haired young man but was now wondering if it was all worthless. None of it appeared to be actually based on the man himself. The facts of what he had achieved for the Rebellion had to be true but he wasn't a cold blooded killer. Palpatine had certainly not known the man he was dealing with. Was that another reason for the Emperor's failure to capture and eliminate Luke Skywalker?

The small clearing was dominated by an ancient white gnarl tree. Yoda's home nestled underneath the huge root structure. Skywalker had pitched a rebel temporary survival shelter next to it and had been living in it for over three years.

And for what? What had the little green troll been teaching him? It must have been very powerful as Skywalker had managed to persuade Vader to join him and together they defeated the Emperor three years ago.

Mara walked into what Luke Skywalker had called home for the past three years and stared about her, taking everything in properly for the first time – the primitive data reader which appeared to be constructed from home made scrap, the huge amount of discs and holobooks, many of which Mara recognised from the Emperor's private library which on special occasions he had allowed her to use. "I suppose he had to do something here to pass away his time," she muttered to herself. She'd never thought of Skywalker as the scholarly type. But his sister had said that he'd always had a book in his hands once he had learned of his birthright.

A pile of scrap resided in a large container just beside the door. Little pieces of broken machinery, surrounded by scattered tools, lay on a table next to his work desk. He must have cobbled together the unit from spare parts. So he was resourceful; she'd already guessed that much about him.

"Hey!"

Mara jumped, her hand instinctively going for her blaster. She hadn't sensed the Jedi approach.

"Easy, Jade," he soothed.

"Did you have to creep up on me like that," she snapped, turning to verbally blast him some more but the words withered on her tongue. He'd been for a training run or partaking in some other type of exercise. He stood in front of her, his blue eyes steady, his muscular chest bare and glistening and Mara's mind went blank, a strange tightness in her lungs constricting her breathing as she took in the sight of his compact frame. Again she remembered how his body had felt as he had crushed her to him, rolling them over and over to escape the feet of the stampeding ronto on Druckenwell. What was this feeling? She felt her face grow hot, her limbs trembled, her mind whirling with unexpected confusion.

"Mara! What's wrong?" Luke stepped towards her.

"Don't come any closer," she said, putting her hands up, as if to ward him off. Secretly she was impressed by this man. Luke Skywalker had worked hard to become what he was. The toned physique could only have been achieved by dedication and hard work but she was not usually one to be swayed by a handsome face and a well defined chest.

"Your ship…" Luke said carefully, backing away. "It is alright?"

"Yes. Seems to be. I haven't had a chance to do a full diagnostic."

"Artoo can do it." Luke swivelled to face the rotund little astromech droid. "Would you do a check on Mistress Jade's ship?"

The droid hooted cheerily and began heading back through the trees, the way Mara had taken to reach Luke's home.

"Artoo is quite happy to do it."

"Wait!" Mara shouted.

The droid paused, beeped and swivelled his head back and fore.

"He'd better not go poking his…circuits into things that are none of his business," she warned Luke militantly.

"He won't. Just tell him that he has to leave your things alone."

"He's a droid."

"Artoo is more than a droid," Luke said firmly. "Just tell him."

Mara scowled. "Mind what you're doing," she said, feeling foolish.

"He will." Luke assessed the woman before him, trim and neat in her tunic and jumpsuit, her damp, curling, red-gold hair tumbling over her shoulders. "You look better today. I was going to ask if you wanted to join me on my training run this morning but I decided that you probably needed your rest."

Mara glanced at her wrist chrono. "No chance of that run now."

"No, I've been up for several hours already and have already taken my run. I take advantage of the early light." He grinned and grabbed a towel lying on his bunk and threw it across his shoulders. "There's always tomorrow. Have a seat." He disappeared into Yoda's hut and reappeared several minutes later carrying two large mugs of steaming caf. "Here."

"Thanks."

Luke took a sip and gave a deep sigh of satisfaction. "Aahhh! I needed that. I have to go through my lightsaber drill and then I'm free to look at your ship. Artoo will have finished setting up the diagnostic and we can find out what is wrong." He took another sip of the hot brew and then paused. "Sithspawn! Artoo's off to do the diagnostic. I don't suppose you would like to help me out with my saber drill?"

Mara's mug halted in front of her lips. "Me?"

"You did say that you knew how to use one. I haven't sparred against anyone – anyone real since…" His face clouded over. "Let's say that it's been several years."

"I…ah…"

"I could give you some pointers on your technique."

"Maybe I could give you some," Mara countered. "I've had a week in hyperspace to reacquaint myself with this weapon.

"Maybe you could but the lightsaber is more than just a weapon. I should watch my over confidence. That is a grave weakness amongst the Jedi."

"The Jedi had a weakness?" Mara's lip curled derisively. He sounded as if he was reciting from a training manual or echoing a former tutor.

"We are fallible although we try to do what is right. It's my aim to restart the Jedi Order once more and for that I need people willing to train with me." He leant forward, his face earnest, blue eyes pleading that she listen to him. "I've told you this before but I'm going to say it again and again. You are extremely strong in the Force. I could feel your presence as soon as your ship entered the Sluis Van sector. Do you know how unusual that kind of Force ability is?"

Mara shook her head mutely.

"I would like to share with you my knowledge of the Jedi…if you are interested?"

Mara's brain froze. He was offering to train her…wasn't he? Karrde had said that she should find the Jedi and allow him to train her. Her not so secret desire bubbled at the edge of her consciousness. A chance of further training in the Jedi arts? It was too good to miss even from someone she considered to be her enemy. She hadn't had to ask – Skywalker had offered. She would learn all she could from him and then she would kill him. She waited for the little voice inside her head telling her to kill the man standing before her but this time the memory of Palpatine was silent.

Luke turned and picked up a data pad lying on his desk. "On Druckenwell, I discovered that you'd been fitted with a natural Force inhibitor. "

"A what?"

"A Force inhibitor. It's a technique normally employed by the Sith to control their servants."

"There was nothing inside my head," Mara snapped, remembering the first encounter with Skywalker that had resulted in an aching head but a return of her Force ability. It had felt as if he'd ripped something from inside her skull. "You're lying. No one controlled me."

"No, I'm not." Luke handed her the data pad and watched as she read the entry. "I did a little research."

"How convenient," she said coldly. "Anyone could have made this up including you."

"I do not lie," Luke repeated but he didn't think she believed him. "Occasionally I may bend the truth a little but you're strong with the Force. You could tell if I was lying. I'm not very good at it, to be honest. I told you that."

Mara was beginning to find it more and more difficult to hold onto her dislike.

"I suspect that most of Palpatine's hands were fitted with a similar device if they had any Force sensitivity."

"I was his only 'hand'," Mara said automatically, as she read through the information held on the data pad. "There were no others."

"Were you now?" Luke's voice was dry.

"Of course." Mara's air turned defensive. She'd been the only one.

"Are you sure?" Luke persisted. "Why would Palpatine have just the one? No offence meant, but why just you?"

There was a sudden silence.

"I never met any others," Mara admitted softly as sudden clarity came to her. There were others like her? The Emperor had lied to her. She'd given him her complete loyalty and devotion and he'd lied. She stared at Luke, her face ashen with shock. "I thought I was the only one but I wasn't…was I?"

"I can't say for certain but from some of the things I've read, Palpatine had many agents. I would suspect that most of them are either dead or still working in the remainder of the imperially controlled sectors."

For the first time in her life Mara Jade faced true reality. She'd not been as unique as she'd thought. It still did not make her Master evil. Great leaders had to keep some secrets from their subjects. Of course, she couldn't have covered the entire galaxy on her own. But she'd genuinely that that she'd been unique…special. "There's a woman on Coruscant now," she admitted slowly, her lips trembling. "I don't know why I didn't make the connection before but I used to see her often at court."

"But now you have made the connection."

"Yes…I'm not certain if she is another hand but… I could be imagining things. Her cover is very convincing…like mine was."

"It wouldn't be much of a cover if it wasn't," Luke pointed out. "Neither of you were trained as Sith agents. Only two there are – a master and his apprentice." Luke found himself unconsciously echoing Yoda. "You were not Palpatine's apprentice."

"Darth Vader." Mara's voice dripped with disgust. "He was the apprentice, I take it?"

A peculiar expression crossed Luke's face. "Yes, Vader. If I had killed An…Vader, Palpatine would have expected me to then take the Dark Lord's place by his side. I would have become his new apprentice. I did not wish to do so and therefore I could not be allowed to live." Luke's mouth tightened, the rawness of the memories still having the power to wound him deeply. "Have you heard of the Dark Side Elite?"

"Yes."

"Did you meet any of them?"

Mara shook her head. "I knew who they were. They did not know me. I worked only for Emperor Palpatine himself. No one else, apart from Vader, knew what I was or what I did. I was rumoured to be a court dancer…one of Palpatine's favoured concubines."

So she'd been left without an anchor and an identity when her master had died. Luke easily read between the lines. In her eyes he had killed her very reason for existing. "They were Force strong adepts certainly," he said slowly. "But they were not admitted to the ranks of the Sith. Their aim, like yours, was to serve the Emperor but in a more visible sense. Palpatine already had Vader. He would not take another apprentice until Vader died. If Vader had taken his place, he would have selected his own apprentice. That was a common Sith tactic. The apprentice finally rising up to kill his master. Palpatine did not want anyone else with the power that Vader possessed."

"That part was true enough," Mara spat bitterly.

"Yes, Vader did kill Palpatine in the end but in doing so suffered terrible injuries which killed him. He died a matter of minutes after the Emperor."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" Mara said resentfully.

"You have not turned to the dark side – you cannot," Luke said, staring at her as if he could see inside her soul. Inside her he sensed an innate goodness of spirit. "Despite your anger there is a part of you that remains pure and true and the Emperor knew this."

"Oh goody." Mara laughed cynically. "Being 'pure and true' really helps one when they have nowhere to go – their sole reason for being, destroyed."

"Only you can make yourself feel better," he whispered. "Beware anger, fear and aggression. They lead to hate and suffering."

Her fists clenched as she squashed her totally rational desire to throttle the man currently spouting inane Jedi maxims at her. "I know all about those emotions. Most of my feelings in those areas are directed towards you and they have kept me alive and focused."

"Revenge," Luke dismissed curtly. "You have to assess why you are seeking such a thing. I thought I sought revenge against the man who had killed my father only to find that it wasn't true. Revenge is destructive. It eats at your soul until all joy is gone from your being." His eyes dropped and he fiddled with the lightsaber affixed to his waist. "Are _you_ happy?" he asked.

Mara ignored the question. She'd known contentment and satisfaction that she was doing her utmost to serve her master but happiness…no. Happiness was for others. "Who do you fear the most?" she asked, wondering if he would answer.

"Myself," Luke answered simply. "You've already asked me who my worst enemy is and I would give you the same reply. Humans are the most dangerous of predators. Governor Wilek Nereus on Bakura also shared that opinion with me. We shared little else." Luke shrugged lightly. "You cannot see it yet but I am not your enemy. However, if you try to kill me I will defend myself. I have a mission to undertake and I will do…" He stopped and swallowed, his throat thick with tears that he tried not to let Mara see. "I will _do_."


	22. Chapter 22

**Out of the Shadows 22**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title and for Michele for taking the time to read.

**Leia Organa's Office - Imperial palace, Coruscant**

"Message coming in," Han murmured in Leia's ear. "And I would ignore it because I'm taking you out to eat."

"What?" Leia lifted her head tiredly and gazed at him as if she couldn't believe he was there. "Is it that time already?" she asked plaintively. "It can't be. I've still got a third of this to read." She'd been looking through the copious amounts of data sent by another new world petitioning to join the New Republic and had almost forgotten that she'd arranged to meet him for lunch. "A message? What kind of message?"

"It's long past our agreed time for lunch and your com centre appears to be going mad." Han jerked his head towards the apparatus located against the far wall of the office, its coloured lights flickering urgently. "I'm not blessed with all that hokey Force stuff, so unless you go and open it, I won't know what it's all about." He bent forward to nuzzle her ear suggestively. "Surely it can wait. I haven't seen you all morning."

"Yes, well, I'm not so sure that I can tell you what it's all about without opening it either." Leia's voice was wry. "You may have forgotten that I'm still rather new to the idea of being Force strong and I definitely have difficulty in trusting my feelings."

Han rolled his eyes. "About some things, maybe. You never used to be afraid of trusting your gut on anything. But you've had three whole years to get used to the idea of being like Luke."

"I'll never be like Luke," Leia automatically denied. "The power he was displaying before he left us was almost bewildering to me."

"He was trying to teach you but you wouldn't make the time to learn properly."

"I was busy trying to overthrow an evil regime and set up a new system of government," Leia said quietly, knowing that what Han said was true but unwilling to admit it aloud. "The Jedi lessons didn't seem to be so important at the time."

"You're scared of the power," Han concluded shrewdly. "This isn't something you can control so easily. Leia, sweetheart, Luke has faith in you."

Her expression softened. "Luke has faith in most people. He forgave Vader. I could never do that."

"No, Luke didn't forgive Vader. He forgave Anakin Skywalker and to him that is a different scenario altogether because he really sees them as being different." Han sat on the edge of her desk, one leg swinging gently. "I can understand why you can't."

"I know you do. He tortured you, too. It's just too much to forgive and I still can't see Darth Vader as my father."

"Maybe one day you can see what Luke sees and accept Anakin as a father instead. It will take time but I know that you can do it. I think that you'll have to." Han reached out his hand and ran a comforting finger carefully down her cheek in a soft caress. "Have you got time to look at the message?"

"Why are you so curious? I thought you weren't interested."

"I'm just nosey." Their eyes met, the love between them visible.

"You don't say," she flirted back with a smile. "I don't suppose Luke could tell what was in a message without hearing it either. He might know if it was urgent or dangerous."

"If the amount of lights flickering on the console indicates the importance, that is a Class A priority communiqué." He chuckled. "But that is a rather old piece of equipment."

"It works." Leia checked her wrist chrono. "I have a meeting with Admiral Ackbar and several of his top diplomats in an hour. I may have to forgo lunch with you this time." She made a face. "It's all to do with this treaty."

"You like the old fish." Han genuinely respected Admiral Ackbar. "It won't be too bad. You've had worse ordeals than this."

"Not if he goes running down the rights of the smugglers again – oh, sorry, I forgot." She smiled mock-sweetly. "The independent operators. Gelos thrives on them and don't call him an 'old fish'."

"Gelos?" Han's brow furrowed. "Now that's somewhere I've never been – I've heard of it but never been there. It's not Outer Rim is it?"

Leia shook her head.

"Where exactly is Gelos?"

"I'm surprised you haven't heard of it, Han. It's a Mid Rim world, not too far from Commenor. It must be the only place you didn't smuggle something to."

"Very funny," Han muttered dryly.

Leia's mouth curved, her eyes gleaming. "I may need to go there as part of the negotiations."

"And you don't want to go?" Han leaned over and dropped a kiss on Leia's forehead.

"Someone else could go for a change. I'm sorry…" Her mouth compressed. "I don't mean to complain. I'm just tired."

"It's because you're the best, sweetheart, that they all want you."

"You could come with me…_General!"_

"Ooh! Nasty," he mumbled at the sound of his New Republic rank. "I'll pass this time."

"Good idea."

"You don't want me with you?" he said, pretending to be outraged.

"Not when you're in this mood. At least the diplomats I met yesterday were extremely pleasant. Ambassador Cilghal was most interested in the tour of the palace medical facilities this morning."

"Is she one of the Geloss?"

"No, she's one of Ackbar's team. But the Mon Calamari are merely acting as intermediaries for the Geloss. They have the reputation of being more difficult to please…"

"Than the Mon Cals?" Han interrupted. "Sweetheart!"

"You're just upset that Ackbar doesn't like smugglers. The Geloss would take it as a grave insult if I did not travel to their world to meet with them."

"I'm crushed that you no longer require my company at all times," Han declared theatrically, his hand on his heart.

Leia rolled her eyes. "No, you're not."

"I'm not," he agreed, smirking, a mischievous twinkle lighting his hazel eyes. "I may just come with you to annoy Karl and Chevin."

"They don't annoy that easily," Leia retorted. "If I have to have guards they are more than acceptable. Shall we check out this message?" She stood up and walked to the com centre.

"Go ahead." Han grinned. "I'm all ears unless it's too sensitive."

"_General_ Solo, I do believe that you've been granted the highest levels of security clearance by General Cracken."

"You're most likely right on that one."

"I am." Leia's mouth curved. Force, she loved this man. He'd made her smile more times in ten minutes than anyone else would have managed in a week.

"Trader Mara Jade of the Karrde Shipping Company sends you this message," the computer intoned solemnly. "Do you accept?"

"Mara!" Leia said and looked at Han, eyebrows raised. "I wonder what she has to say. It's not a live feed."

"Probably recorded as soon as she left Coruscant and time delayed for its arrival."

"Probably." Leia tipped her head to one side and looked up at Han. "And also because you had Cracken's people watching the spaceport. I guess she didn't want to be chased all the way to Dagobah by Rogue Squadron."

"They wouldn't have done that – would they?"

Leia arched an eyebrow. "They might. If Wedge thought that Luke's life was in jeopardy then..." She shrugged lightly. "Who can say?"

"They'd go after her." Han was certain of the regard that Wedge and the rest of Luke's former comrades held for the man they still considered to be their true leader. "Well?" he waved his hand towards the monitor. "Are we ready to proceed?"

"Yes," Leia answered and touched the vid-screen. "We accept the message."

Mara Jade's composed face appeared on the holo screen in front of them. "Good day, Councillor Organa…General Solo."

"How did she know I'd be here," Han muttered.

Leia chuckled and paused the transmission. "An educated guess, I would suspect."

Han smiled. The time they spent together was precious to him. "Yeah, probably. You are marrying _me _remember, princess?"

"How could I possibly forget?"

Han tried to look injured. "You would try?" he asked mournfully.

"Never," Leia stated. "I love you, nerfherder."

"I'm very loveable," Han stated complacently.

"Most of the time you are," his fiancée muttered.

"_All _of the time." Han narrowed his hazel eyes and leaned towards her threateningly.

"I'll try and remember that the next time we fight." Leia shot back, meeting his mock fierce stare with one of her own. This bantering between them made her feel so alive. Han was the only person who talked to her like this. He was the only one she allowed that privilege. To anyone who knew her well, that was a giveaway sign. Leia Organa loved Han Solo deeply.

"We never fight," Han disagreed, a smug grin on his lips. "What we have is a healthy difference of opinion. I love you too, sweetheart, and we're having that wedding ceremony the second the Kid walks in through the door. Let's see what Mistress Jade has to say today. I must admit to being curious."

Leia restarted the message and listened carefully as Mara's cool, Coruscant-educated voice filled the room.

"As you are aware, I left Coruscant two days ago for an unspecified destination. I have recently discovered information which will hopefully lead me to Dagobah and your brother's location. It is at least a week away travelling through the quickest hyperspace routes…"

"So where the hell _is_ Dagobah exactly?" Han said, reaching out and pressing the pause button. "I've flown from one end of the galaxy to another and never come across it although I have my suspicions. It's too large an area of space and there are pockets which have never been properly charted."

"The Outer Rim," Leia said softly. "We looked."

"I would have put a homing beacon in the Kid's X-wing years ago if it weren't for the fact he would have found it and tossed it."

"If we knew exactly where it was, we'd have been there long ago and brought him home. He didn't want us to know – didn't want to give us the temptation. If she finds Luke…"

"You're not worried about his safety?" Han's voice rose. "I thought you said that you trusted her."

"I do trust her and I'm not worried about his safety. No, Luke will win her over." Leia was absolutely certain of this – she had to be. Anything else was impossible to contemplate and besides, it was Luke's way.

Han was less certain but he recognised much of his younger self in Jade's truculent manner and Luke had won him over. "I sure hope he does so but he hasn't always got the best start in a situation and with Jade he's gonna need all the luck he has."

"Luke doesn't…" Leia began.

"Yeah, yeah! The Force. There's no such thing as luck. But Leia, the Kid nearly bit the dust the very first time he stepped into a cantina on Mos Eisley. He almost didn't get off Tatooine."

"I know, he told me all about it. He said it was his first true lesson in seeing past what a person looked like on the outside. You and the _Millennium Falcon _were his second lesson."

"I like that," Han grouched, but inside, he was touched. The Kid had had faith in all of them.

"Do you really think Obi-Wan Kenobi would have let anything happen to him?" Leia wasn't expecting an answer. "Luke was the hope for the Jedi's rebirth and the galaxy's salvation. Only he could have fired the shot that destroyed the Death Star."

"Okay, okay. I believe you. Mara is squeaky clean. Let's hear what she's up to. I hope its not an 'I've found him and finished him off' message."

"It's not. She's only been away for two days."

"A lot can happen in two days," Han said darkly. Han said darkly.

"Mara said it would take her at least a week to get to where she thinks the planet is. Now be quiet," Leia shushed him.

"I'm quiet," he muttered. "Very quiet."

"Han!" She nodded impatiently at him and Han flicked the switch once more continuing the playing of Mara's message.

Mara's voice was steady. "I'm heading out along the Rimma Trade Route. The ancient maps I consulted placed Dagobah way beyond Sullust."

"Outer Rim," Han said. "Kid would be at home out there."

"When I find him, I will not kill him. He will be safe – you have my word." Her expression was one of annoyed resignation.

"Good, I'm so glad," Han said sardonically. "She's all heart." He paused the recording once more. "Where do you keep your maps, Leia? Rimma trade route…Sullust…"

"We're not going," Leia said firmly, restarting it again, ignoring Han's little boy scowl.

"When I do find him I will try and persuade him to return with me. He may, of course, not want to do that." She fidgeted a little in front of the holo-recorder. "Before I leave you I wanted to give you something to prove my intentions are good ones – just don't broadcast this to the rest of the Inner Council and the Senate quite yet. I like my freedom."

"What could she possibly give us that could compromise her freedom?" Leia was mystified.

As if she had heard the words of the Alderaanian princess, Mara smiled enigmatically. "In the depths of the Imperial palace there are many concealed chambers. I would be surprised if you have yet discovered them all." She listed a set of co-ordinates and the instruction to press the carved head of one of the mythical beasts represented in the detailed plasterwork carving. "I think you may be very interested in the contents of this one and if anyone asks…I had nothing to do with this. Jade out." Her image faded from the screen in front of them.

Leia saved the message before shutting off the com centre, then stared at Han in disbelief. "She never ceases to surprise me. I wonder how much information Mara Jade could really give us."

"Quite a lot, I would suspect, as a former high-ranking Imperial." Leia opened her mouth to argue and Han held up his hands. "What! I'm not stating anything asteroid-blowing here. If she didn't work for us, she worked for them. It's as simple as that. She's worked for Karrde for less than a year. Does he know where she came from?"

Leia made a decision. "Come on."

"What about your meeting?"

"Cancel it."

"But the Admirals and the treaty…"

"They can wait. This can't."

"It can wait," Han muttered and ignored the glare Leia sent him. "But I must admit that I'm curious too. Impatience is a Skywalker trait after all and I must have caught it from you. Did you notice that she said 'when' she found him and not 'if'?"

"I noticed." Leia grabbed a couple of glow rods and checked her pocket blaster. "Out!" She motioned to the door. "We're going to see what's there."

"Now?" Han said blinking.

"Yes, now."

He grinned. "Yes, your Worshipfulness."

"Han…"

"Yes, sweetheart."

"I've read every single file on the Imperials with the highest levels of clearance and Mara's name doesn't appear on any of them."

"That just means that she wasn't on those particular lists."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Cloud City Medical Facility, Bespin**

Lando Calrissian swept into the pristine, sterile whiteness of the Cloud City medical suite. "I believe our patient is conscious?"

"He is." The medical droid moved smoothly across gleaming floor tiles towards the viewing window. "However, I'm not happy with his current condition."

"Not happy? In what way?"

"I would value your honest opinion, Baron Calrissian. Go in and talk to him but only stay a few minutes please. He is very tired."

Mystified Lando did so. "I'm not a medical man you know," he said with a wink as he paused by the door. "I can tell you if his wounds have healed by looking at them but that's about my limit. I passed basic field medicine far too long ago at survival school to be of much help."

"It is not his physical well-being that I'm worried about. If you will excuse me, Baron Calrissian? I need to go and check on my other patients."

"Of course." Lando smoothed a non-existent piece of fluff away from his powder blue cape and tapped gently on Streen's door. "Hey!" he said cheerfully in that tone of voice one reserved for very small children and invalids. "How are you feeling? You are looking better than when I last saw you."

The patient didn't move, lying motionless against his crisp white pillow, his eyes closed.

Lando moved further into the pristine private ward letting the door slide shut behind him. He didn't believe the old man was asleep for a single moment. There was something rather too tense about the way he was lying there. "I believe you are feeling much better?" Lando asked again.

There was a sigh and carefully, the old man sat up. He'd hoped to fool any possible visitors into thinking he was asleep. Indeed, he knew of none who might visit him as he had no family or friends. "Do I know you?"

Lando's trademark grin widened. "We've never met but I've heard all about you, Citizen Streen. I'm Lando Calrissian, the administrator of this facility. My men picked up your distress call on Tibannopolis and brought you here."

"_Baron_ _Administrator _Calrissian?" The old man's watery pale blue eyes widened as he took in the immaculate dress of his visitor.

Lando drew himself up a little, his pride in the title evident. "Some refer to me by that title," he said.

"I know of you but you should not know me." Streen's brow furrowed and he plucked at the bedclothes. "I should not be here. Why am I here? I want to go back to Tibannopolis. At least I can be alone there."

The door swung open smoothly and this time, the medical droid moved into the room. "Ah, my patient is awake. Citizen Streen is lucky to be alive but now he needs to rest."

"Tried to rest," he muttered shaking his head. "Tried to rest but cannot sleep. I hear the voices – always they call me, never resting. I must get out of here. I hear the voices crying day and night. Too many of them. The old city was quiet, only the sound of the wind and the song of the rawks." His wrinkled hands began to tremble as he lifted them to cover his faded blue eyes. "I don't want to hear the voices. Take them away…"

"You must rest," the med droid urged calmly, checking the equipment that was monitoring Streen's vital signs. "I think it would be better if you left, Baron Calrissian. This was not a good idea. My patient must not be distressed any further."

Lando watched helplessly as the old man rocked back and fore, mumbling to himself and plucking at his beard. He'd done what the med-droid had suggested and to his knowledge hadn't done anything that might have upset the old man. "I think I know someone who can help him."

Streen dropped his hands from his face and stared at Lando. "I need help. I cannot stay here. I must go where the voices do not cry. So many…"

"We'll find someone who can help," he said soothingly and nodded at the med droid who slid the hypospray against the distressed man's neck. Streen closed his eyes with a relieved sigh. The voices would be still for a little while.

"As you can see, Baron, he is easily distressed."

"I thought I had a possible Jedi candidate, not a sad old man with a multiple personality disorder."

"He is quite sane in my opinion," the droid said moving out of the room.

Lando followed him sardonically muttering, "Your circuits better not be malfunctioning. Have you sent for the psych droid?"

"My weekly diagnostic was successful. I am in prime condition." The droid moved to a monitoring station where he was able to oversee the condition of all his patients. "His psych evaluations were all within normal parameters although I do suspect he may be prone to bouts of depression. I know little of the Jedi, Baron Calrissian, but Citizen Streen is exhibiting all the signs of a telepath unable to shield."

Lando swore under his breath. "The voices in his head," he said suddenly understanding. "He needs solitude because he cannot shield himself from the thoughts of others. That's why he lived and worked on Tibannopolis alone."

"There is little I can do for the moment but keep him sedated or in stasis."

"Stasis?" Lando tapped his fingers against his chin. "Leia Organa is looking for Jedi artefacts and possible Jedi trainees for Luke to work with. If she knows where Luke's hiding himself these days, maybe she can get him to come and have a look at Streen."

"You know of someone who could help our patient?" the med-droid asked.

"Yes." '_Stang, Luke,'_ Lando thought. '_This guy and others like him need you When are you coming back?' _The tight strain hovering about Leia's mouth the last time he had seen her worried him. She was missing the young Jedi and so was Han. Sometimes Lando thought that Han missed Luke more than Leia did.

"There is little more I can do for him here. I have healed his body. I cannot heal his mind if there is nothing wrong with it."

Lando pursed his lips as he made a decision. "When you next awaken him, ask him about stasis and tell him that I know of someone who might be able to help him. I was planning a visit to the Core. I'll take him with me if he agrees."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Kulthis Spaceport**

Tionne finished loading the last of her supplies into her ship, the _Lore Seeker._ It had been an interesting trip and she would never forget Kam Solusar – a real Jedi knight. Despite Kam's own doubts Tionne was certain that was what he was. The fact that he was questioning everything he had done and was trying to move forward and make a new life for himself, following the ideas he had been taught as a boy and turning his back on darkness, told her that much. Hopefully one day they would meet again. She wished he had accepted her offer to travel with her. But she was heading towards Ossus and he, for some reason, was heading for the Core. She hadn't asked why and he hadn't volunteered the information. It was, after all, none of her business.

It would have been wonderful to visit the Core with Kam. He'd been able to tell her so many things about the Jedi. He had all that untapped knowledge inside his head and Tionne admitted to herself that she was jealous of such a treasure trove of precious information. She was sure he'd only told her a fraction of what he knew. She gave a heavy sigh full of regret. It was not to be as he had already left on an earlier shuttle.

"Tionne!"

She turned with a gasp as she'd been unaware that she was not alone. "Kam? I thought that you had already gone. You said that you were taking the earlier transport. Did something happen? Is anything wrong?"

"I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye." His grey eyes held hers steadily.

"Oh!" Tionne murmured quietly. "But we already…" They'd bid one another a swift almost impersonal farewell the previous evening and something about the way they had parted had hurt. It was unlikely that they would ever meet again. Tionne wasn't certain how she'd felt about that but here he was, standing in front of her, his face serious and, by the memory of her grandmother, she was glad.

"Where are you going next?" he asked.

"I'm not exactly sure. I thought I might head for Ossus."

An important world in the lives and history of the Jedi, he thought. She was truly dedicated to her chosen study without thought of reward. The pursuit of knowledge was Tionne's prize. She had the heart of a Jedi and he wanted to help her. She was not equipped for such a search on her own. Perhaps the Force itself was directing her in her quest.

"It's not a very good environment. I wouldn't recommend going there by yourself. You would need the proper equipment. After the sun went nova…" he stopped lamely. "There's not much to see anymore."

"Oh," Tionne said again. "But I wanted to see the place where the greatest of the Jedi libraries was once located."

"Once being the operative word."

"You've been there?"

Kam closed his eyes and could visualise the place amongst his memories. "It was a long time ago and there was little to see even then. If there were any forgotten treasure left I would be surprised. The Empire looted most of the known sites most effectively."

"Things have a way of getting lost," Tionne said slowly. "But also of remaining hidden until the right person comes searching for them." How many treasures had been completely destroyed? How many had been hidden by the Jedi as they fled for their lives? The possibilities were too numerous to even think about.

Tionne closed one of her storage compartments and walked up the ramp into the ship. When Kam followed her, she turned and looked at him. "What happened to…?"

"The information…the artefacts?" Kam shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. Some things were destroyed or transported to museums in the Core. Things that were considered dangerous, the Emperor's agents took to his private stores on Coruscant, Byss and Wayland. He had other secret locations for such things."

"You know where these places are?"

Kam shook his head. "No," he said, bitterly. "I was not important enough to be trusted with such things. I can't even tell you the co-ordinates to Byss and Wayland. Maybe he suspected that I would renounce the dark side. I have done so but I am not yet free from its sinister shadow."

"Where are you going?" She didn't really need to ask that question. She knew he was hoping to go to Coruscant.

"Coruscant," he said confirming her guess. "I can find work there. It should be safe enough for me to go there now that Palpatine and Vader are both dead."

"Work?"

"I helped with an archaeological dig on Kaellin III for several months. It was just a labouring job but it was interesting, paid well and I enjoyed it. It also turned up some Jedi artefacts. That shouldn't have been a surprise to me because it was once the site of a small Jedi temple. However, like most of the others I thought it had been stripped clean, the objects looted and then destroyed." Unconsciously his hand travelled to the lightsaber he wore concealed under his loose clothing. "The head of the dig offered me work if I ever came to Coruscant."

"Did they know?"

"That I was a fallen Jedi or that it was a Jedi site?"

"You are not a fallen Jedi," Tionne exclaimed, her eyes flashing silver. "You had a slight deviation from the natural course of your life and…"

"I've never heard it described like that before," Kam said with a warm smile, pleased at the way she had sprung to his defence. "But no, they didn't know I was once a Jedi. I felt it was for the best to keep such a thing secret. Not everyone sees the return of the Jedi in a positive light."

"But a Jedi site!" Tionne exclaimed, her eyes large in her pale face. "Was it a chance find?"

"They appeared to know about the site – or the head archaeologist did. She is knowledgeable in the field. "

"Then I must try to talk to her."

"She is very much in demand throughout the galaxy. You would be very lucky to find her in any one place for longer than a few days." Kam was noncommittal.

"You _are_ still a Jedi Knight," Tionne declared, voicing her earlier thoughts about the man before her.

Kam looked surprised and then pleased. "Thank you. It's nice to have your confidence. There was something not quite right about that whole affair. I can't really explain the way I felt."

"Did you not trust these people?"

Kam sighed. "I'm not sure."

"Then why did you work for them?"

"To find out the truth. It's one of the reasons I decided to go to Coruscant. They've started on the foundations of what was once the Jedi temple."

Tionne's mouth went dry. "They know where it is?"

Kam snorted. "Of course they do. I could go to the galactic capital today and point it out to any passing tourist. I remember being there as a young boy." His face darkened. "Luckily for me, I wasn't there when Darth Vader came calling. He killed many of my peers…my friends. We never recovered."

Tionne placed a comforting hand on his arm. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her mind whirling. The Jedi temple! It was more than a building. It had been the seat of the Jedi's power in the galaxy and Kam knew where it had stood.

"No, it's I who should be sorry," he apologised a little stiffly. "I would ask you to keep in touch but there's little point unless..." Kam hesitated staring down into Tionne's silvery eyes with something neither of them recognised as longing. "We shall be too far away from one another – it would almost be impossible."

"Not if we made a real effort. I would like it very much," she said simply, turning her face away from him. Kam Solusar's dark grey eyes looked at her as if he could see into her heart and mind.

Kam hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Tionne…"

"It's alright."

Kam wondered if he was about to say something rash but he said it anyway. "We could both travel to Coruscant, Tionne. I have enough credits to pay for my passage and would be more than willing to help you if you needed help. It would be nice to have company."

"My ship is big enough for two but I don't really know you…"

"You do," Kam interjected firmly. "You have the Force."

"I do?" Tionne tried not to react to the fact that her voice had risen in an embarrassingly high squeak of surprise.

"I'm quite certain. I don't think you are a particularly strong adept but you have enough ability and certainly the dedication to make yourself useful to the order."

Tionne could barely believe what she was hearing. She didn't care if she was the weakest Force user in the entire galaxy but only that she had enough to be useful.

"Perhaps this is your destiny. Your quest for knowledge has probably been nurtured by the Force." He placed both hands on her shoulders. "It may seem that we met by chance but chance, I think, had little to do with this. I think the Force has brought you to me or me to you. I don't care which. Think, Tionne…" His hands tightened. "Coruscant and the Jedi temple. It would be so good to be there after all these years. There could be things for us to find together. Until I met you, I hadn't realised how much I missed the call of the Force and others of my own kind."

"Coruscant!" Tionne exclaimed with awe. The jewel of the Core Worlds was beckoning her and she would have company on her journey – company with information about the Jedi to share. Her pearly eyes gleamed silver. "We have a deal."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

**Rhommamool**

Kelt shivered under his woollen cloak. He couldn't work out if it was from the cold or from the fear that seemed to have him in its constant icy grip. He'd been in this almost perpetual state of worried anxiety since the death of his family and his possibly impetuous decision to leave Osar. The rest of the time, he'd just felt numb with the agony of remembering the last moments of his family's lives as they'd been cut down in front of him. If he'd been in the house with them, then he would have died too – he was sure of it. He had no clue why the random attack had happened and neither had the authorities. His family had been good, law-abiding citizens and had never harmed anyone or anything. He was lucky that there had been no evidence suggesting that he'd done such an evil deed or he may have been imprisoned wrongly for the rest of his natural life.

He didn't want to stay in Osar after his family's tragedy but didn't know where to go next. Even if he had the ability, how could he ever become a Jedi? His grandmother had said that he had the Force but she'd been ill for so many years it could just have been the ramblings of an old and muddled lady. However, a Jedi could see things that others could not. His grandmother had known something bad was going to happen and they'd all dismissed her words. He should have known better. He sometimes saw things too, knew things that he should never have known. But it hadn't been enough to save his family.

The Jedi didn't just appear out of thin air when one was needed – a pity, because that's what he could have done with. He didn't know how to find them or even what they looked like. Could you tell by looking at them that they were Jedi Knights? His grandmother had told him many stories about their heroic deeds and finally of their betrayal and deaths at the hands of the Sith. How he wished she was still alive to tell him those tales now. _She_ would have known how to find the Jedi.

The lightsaber and the data cards she'd given him were stashed at the very bottom of his shabby carryall. It hadn't felt right for him to have the weapon swinging from his belt – not when he hadn't the faintest idea how to use it.

If his grandmother had been the genuine article – a real Jedi – why hadn't she said anything before? Kelt shook his head at his own foolishness. She'd told him in the only way she knew how…by her stories. How many of them had been real? He'd never quite believed her as they'd been too fantastic to be true but in the light of her presenting him with the weapon, the symbol of the Jedi, and the manner of her death he had to believe she'd been telling him the truth. She'd definitely prepared him for better things than working in the factory like his father and grandfather. He'd been given the best schooling that the family could afford and it had been she, not his father, that had given him his weapons and survival training. Had Kehta been preparing him for a life away from Osar?

Perhaps she'd intended to tell him the truth long ago but as he'd reached his majority and left school forever, the vagueness and confusion had overrun her mind. It was too late now and he'd probably never know.

Kelt stared at the decrepit tramp freighters all around him. One of the delivery haulers on Osar had agreed to transport him to Rhommamool, which had an intergalactic spaceport, if he helped with the cargo. He'd never sought to travel out of his safe little environment, no matter how exciting his grandmother's tales had been. Now, he felt he had little choice. From here he could pick up passage out of the system – perhaps Commenor or even Corellia. The Corellians were amongst the most famous space travellers in the galaxy. He could then find work – perhaps on a ship as part of a crew, get some more credits behind him and then move to anywhere he wanted in the Core Worlds. It was, at least, some sort of a plan.

With another shiver, he pulled his cloak more securely around his thin shoulders and finished moving the last of the cargo the Captain had asked him to shift.

"Thanks, Kelt." The Captain, an older man in his early fifties, clapped him on the back.

"No problem, Captain Kar," Kelt answered with a shrug and a smile. "I appreciated the lift. My credits are not plentiful."

"Where are you planning on going next? Rhommamool's a good place to move on from. There's not much opportunity for a young man to make his way in the galaxy if you stay on this piece of rock."

Kelt wondered if he was wise to make his own plans known but then he wasn't exactly sure what those plans were. "I thought I'd head towards the Core eventually. But I need to make a few more credits first."

"That's always a good plan but make sure you get it banked or put away somewhere safe." The captain thought hard and then grinned. "I'm heading towards Commenor to pick up a cargo of grain. That's the farthest I go – this old girl isn't built for long distances." He smiled fondly at his elderly, dilapidated freighter. "You've been quite a help on the voyage. If you want, you could come with us. I know my crew appreciated the extra pair of hands. In fact, you could stay a couple of months, earn some more credits and we'll drop you off on the planet of your choice when you're ready to move on."

Kelt gulped. "Do you mean it?"

"Sure. Wouldn't have offered otherwise."

"Thanks. I appreciate it." He shivered again.

The captain noticed the almost imperceptible tremor. "You're not used to travelling are you, young one? Space can be cold. You look about the same size as my son was when he was still crewing for me. He has his own ship now but I think he left some warmer clothing in his old cabin. He won't be needing them anymore as he's grown quite a bit since then."

A few months later, Kelt parted from Captain Kar and his crew on Commenor ready to make his way into the very heart of the galaxy and his future.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

16


	23. Chapter 23

**Out of the Shadows 23**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title and for Michele for taking the time to read.

**Somewhere in the depths of the Imperial Palace, Coruscant**

"I still think this could have waited until after your meeting had finished," Han complained, as his fiancée began rummaging through another drawer.

"And have you go and find it without me!" Leia exclaimed. She stopped rummaging and cheekily waved her finger in his face. "I don't think so, Flyboy. I told you to start moving."

"What are you looking for?"

"A plan of the palace. I have one somewhere. Ah…here it is." Leia snatched a card from a pile and thrust it into the data reader on her desk.

"You need a _plan!_ I thought you would have the layout of the whole palace memorised by now…" He wisely stopped at the look Leia gave him.

"Here," Leia passed him the glow rods she'd picked up.

Han's fingers closed around the slim tubes and attached them to his belt. "Where are we going?"

Leia typed the co-ordinates into the data reader and wriggled her nose as the information was displayed on the small screen. "We are going to the one hundred and tenth floor - department for the reclamation of lost art. It's in the central part of the building."

"Never been there," Han admitted. "Art wasn't my thing at the Imperial Academy. I recognised good pieces if I had to smuggle them and knew enough to spot a fake but I can't say that I really appreciated it…if you know what I mean."

"Typical," Leia said and headed down the corridor. "Winter," Leia called as she swept past her aide's office. "Could you cancel my meeting? Something's come up…something urgent. Re-schedule for tomorrow. If they can't reschedule then you can deal with it."

"But Your Highness…!" the elegant white-haired Alderaanian woman tried to protest as Han and Leia sped past her.

"Tomorrow, Winter," Han called with a chuckle, following his fiancée out of the door. He loved to see Leia display the arrogance her position in society had given her, combined with what he now guessed to be the Skywalker talent for recklessness. When the two traits combined, Han reckoned that Leia could be unstoppable.

"Which floor are we currently on again?" Han asked Leia as they stood waiting for the turbolift.

"The fiftieth…as you well know," Leia replied tapping her foot impatiently. The doors opened with a gentle hiss and they stepped inside. "Palpatine and the Imperials stole priceless works of art from many worlds. The New Republic is trying to return as many of them as we can to their rightful owners."

"Hence the department for the reclamation of lost art," Han said with a decisive nod.

"Mara's co-ordinates tell us that the secret passage she's talking about begins in that office. That's where we have to go to find it."

The turbolift doors opened and they found themselves in a large spacious corridor. "This way," Leia said. "I've been here on a number of occasions dealing with the off-world property of the Alderaanian nation." She looked at Han soberly. "We can't send it back to its rightful owners. Most of them are dead."

"It's not just stuff from Alderaan though, is it?"

Leia nodded. "Some pieces will never be returned to their rightful owners. Like Alderaan, the world has been destroyed or we do not know where they originally came from."

"Is every thing that's found from Alderaan kept in the museum attached to the Alderaanian consulate?" Han asked gently.

"Yes. It belongs to the people of Alderaan and it is all we have left." She motioned to a graceful marble archway. "Through here."

"Can I help you…you…? Your Highness…Gen…General Solo." A pimply-faced youth stuttered nervously when he recognised his visitors, his face turning an unflattering shade of scarlet.

"No, not at all," Han said with a wicked smile. "Nothing to do with art. We're here to look at a wall."

"A wall!" the young man exclaimed. "What's wrong with it?"

"Cracks in the superstructure," Han said matter-of-factly. "We'll call you if we need you. In fact, it might be a good idea if you took an early lunch." Han's tone indicated that it was clearly a dismissal. He swung around, clearly pleased with himself and then gave a groan. "No!" The wall in front of him was festooned with hundreds upon hundreds of carvings. He began randomly pressing pieces of plasterwork to no avail. "She was having us on," he grumbled. "Which bit are we supposed to press or twist?" He stood, scowling, hands on hips. "This is a joke."

"No, I don't think she was having us on. It wouldn't be a secret passage if it was easy to find." Leia was tapping the wall and listening keenly to see if any section sounded hollow. "Can you hear a difference?" she asked.

"A difference in what?" he answered irritably.

"The wall." She rapped her knuckles against one of the decorated panels. "Does that sound hollow to you?"

"No." Han placed his hands on his hips and glared at the diminutive Alderaanian. "It does not."

"What about this…?"

"No." He stabbed at an offending piece of plaster moulding with an impatient finger.

"But I think this one sounds different from that one," Leia said stubbornly, continuing with her efforts.

"Sweetheart, we could be at this for the rest of today," Han muttered, exasperation written all over his face after five minutes of continuing to push at the carvings. He stopped and glared at the wall, his hands falling to rest on his hips. "Stang, Leia! I'm getting nowhere here. Why not use the Force?"

Leia stopped tapping and stared at him, her brown eyes full of incredulous amazement. "The Force? _You're_ suggesting that I use the Force?"

Han looked a little sheepish. "Your brother says you have it. Why don't you use it? Trust your feelings or whatever it was he used to say all the time."

She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not sure that I _trust_ my ability enough. I'm no Luke."

"That's the second time today you've said something like that, Leia. You have tremendous confidence in everything else you do, why not this? You have to start somewhere. What are you so afraid of?"

"That I'll fail and disappoint Luke." She looked down. "I couldn't take that."

"Hey!" Han put his finger under her chin and tipped her head up until he gazed into her warm brown eyes. "You could never disappoint Luke. Knowing him, he would probably figure he didn't teach you well enough. He will feel that it's more the other way around – that it's his fault. Come on…try it."

Leia shook her head and gave him a wry grin. "For someone who dismisses it as a hokey religion you're awfully keen for me to use the Force."

"Because it's part of you and constantly denying it is a negative thing to do. I think you used it unconsciously before and now you are wondering if it's the Force or your own good judgement. Plus we'll get moving a whole lot quicker."

"You can be very wise for a scruffy nerfherder."

"Yeah, I know. And who's scruffy?" He brushed one hand through his hair. "Immaculate as always," he said, then looked her square in the eyes. "You have a choice. Get the experts in with their duro-wave penetrating equipment that sees through walls and basic demolition stuff. But on the down side, that is noisy and messy and attention grabbing. All the things we don't want. Just try using the Force."

She closed her eyes and reached out with her senses. Mara Jade had been in here. Leia could feel a ghost of the redhead's presence sitting on the seat right in front of them. Then it seemed as if the presence rose and walked toward her. She shuddered as if something swept through her like an echo of a dream. With her eyes still closed, she followed and came to a stop further along the wall. There was something old and dark ahead. Leia stretched out her fingers, placed them on the carving of a mythical beast and pushed. There was a click and then a low grinding noise as a whole section of the wall slid unwillingly aside revealing a long dark passage.

"I thought security had discovered all of these by now," Han said in an awed whisper. "It's not on your plan, is it?"

"Why are you whispering?" Leia asked curiously.

Han looked at her and half smiled. "Do you know something? I haven't a clue why I was whispering." He raised his voice to its normal level. "Surely they should have discovered all these secret rooms by now. We've been on Coruscant for two years."

"In a place this size?" Leia was holding up one of the glow rods, peering into the darkness. "Unlikely. I think we've barely scratched the surface."

"I'd like to scratch your surface," he said roguishly, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Han Solo!" Leia said, her mouth dropping open in shock, her cheeks flushing.

"Just testing to see if you were listening." Han held up his glow rod and also pulled out his blaster. "Just to be on the safe side," he muttered as he began to edge down the tunnel.

"I don't think anyone's been in here for years," Leia commented, looking at the thick layer of undisturbed dust. "It smells musty, as if it hasn't had any fresh air flowing through it."

"Someone's been in here recently." Han shone his luma onto the floor and they could see the faint imprint of a small foot in the dust. "Mara Jade, I would guess, and I wonder why."

The passage widened out into a small square room with cabinets lining the walls and a single dust covered desk and chair at the centre.

"What in the galaxy is this place?" Han breathed, holding his luma in front of him, awed by the sight before him. It was like something caught in time, unmoving and silent yet pregnant with possibilities.

"It's a redundant turbo-lift shaft," Leia murmured, staring around her. "It was built to connect all areas of the palace but this section was apparently overlooked deliberately and now houses a treasure trove of secrets."

"Would there be similar rooms on all levels?"

"It's possible. But Mara only directed us to this one."

"Maybe she's expecting us to use our brains." Han replaced his blaster and opened one of the cabinets. Inside he found a drawer filled with hundreds of data cards. He opened several more drawers, shining the luma into each. In every single one they found more data cards. "Do you think this whole room contains nothing but data?"

"Knowledge is power but no…" Leia shuddered as the cupboard she opened revealed things of a more gruesome nature pickled in preservative.

"Is that what I think it is?" Han dragged his eyes and the luma away from the macabre exhibits with difficulty.

"Yes." Leia gulped down a feeling of nausea and turned her head abruptly away. "It contains trophies of a sort."

"I suppose we could describe body parts in fluid as trophies."

"It's proof," she said. "Proof that the minion Palpatine had sent to kill these beings…these Jedi, had done their job correctly. He deserved to die," Leia spat, her lip trembling. "For what he did to Alderaan and the rest of the galaxy, he deserved to die in as much pain as humanly possible."

"Palpatine's gone and we have a new future ahead of us – a better one." Han glanced into several more cabinets and paused. "I suppose it is Jedi," he said and then sighed. "Leia… This one contains lightsabers."

"Luke will be interested." She made her way to where Han was standing and gazed into the cabinet. The lightsabers had been arranged almost as if they were on display in a museum. "Han!" Leia said suddenly, her whole body still. "One of the lightsabers is missing."

"You don't know that," he said doubtfully.

"I do," Leia maintained. "Look." There was an obvious gap on the shelf where something had once lain.

Han leant closer and examined the darker patch and lifted one of the other sabers to see if a similar mark was left. "You're right, Princess. Mara was here before she left. Do you think she took a lightsaber with her?"

Leia bit her lip worriedly. "It's possible. I would assume that this is a recent removal."

"And you still trust her to leave your brother alive?"

"Yes," she said but she didn't sound so sure. "Mara gave us her word that she would not harm him and I believe her."

"Oddly enough, so do I." Han's smile was reassuring. "Do you realise what all of this could mean to the New Republic?"

"It has to be important," Leia breathed softly.

"There's an awful lot of information stored in this room." He opened the drawer directly beneath the lightsaber display. "Ah, more data cards," he said sardonically and pulled out a couple. "We'll need help with this."

"Doctor Rule is the expert on the Jedi," Leia said reluctantly. "Unless Luke miraculously returns in the next few weeks."

Han tilted his head and assessed Leia shrewdly. "You're not keen to let the good Doctor loose in here…are you?"

"It's a trivial reason really but I'd rather Luke saw it first. He'll be so excited." Leia's voice shook.

"So we stall a little. We can let Cracken know but tell him it's off limits to anyone who isn't, well, us. Doctor Rule won't know anything about this until we decide to tell her. I'm quite sure there are things she might want to share with us maybe even with Luke when he comes home. Mara Jade left this for _you_ to find not Doctor Rule."

"I don't have the time to search through all these files, much as I would love to. There could be answers to the whereabouts of many Jedi and perhaps other beings that disappeared. Political opponents…" Her voice faded away wistfully.

"Put Winter and her people onto it. She works for you and not the Senate and can be easily moved to another task without too many questions being asked. She will also remember the important things and be able to cross reference them to other areas without having to write anything down. Having an eidetic memory can be useful." He pulled the data reader from his pocket and slid the first of the cards into the slot. "Leia…"

Han gave her the data reader and her mouth dropped open with shocked surprise. "Are you certain that you don't have any Force ability?"

"Positive. Luke said so. Why?"

"You picked out an important data card from thousands. It's a list of names and dates."

"And…"

"I recognise some of the names."

"You do?"

"They're definitely Jedi names…significant ones - Mace Windu, Bultar Swan, Ranik Solusar, Kit Fisto… I remember hearing my father speak of them long ago. There's one more name that confirms it for me."

"It's luck." Han shone the glow rod over the reader and took a deep breath to steady his suddenly pounding heart. "It has to be luck. I recognise the last one on the list."

"Yes, I thought that you might. It's Obi-Wan Kenobi." Leia pointed to the set of numbers alongside Obi-Wan's name. "That is the date that he died. You should remember it – you were there. I will never forget it."

"I remember." Han's voice was clipped.

"This is a list of the Jedi killed by Palpatine and his followers."

Han stared into the open drawer, his face pensive. "There are several hundred data cards in that drawer alone. Do you think they all contain the names of dead Jedi knights?"

Leia nodded, for a moment too choked to speak. "Probably," she said faintly. "The Jedi Order once contained tens of thousands of beings."

"And now there's just Luke."

"Yes, just Luke."

"Stang!" Han swore. "No wonder the poor Kid scarpered."

"He did not 'scarper' as you tastefully put it," Leia snapped defensively, feeling guilty at the pressure she and everyone else had been putting on her brother. They'd been expecting so much of him and he hadn't complained about it. There had once been tens of thousands of knights all over the galaxy and now only her brother was left. They expected him to do more miraculous things than he had already done.

"It was a joke."

"I don't find that kind of joke funny. You're making Luke sound as if he's a coward."

"I did not."

"Yes, you did. It was flippant and uncalled for."

"Whoa! Your Highness!" There was an angry silence. Han lowered his head and stared at the shadows on the floor illuminated by the glow rod. There was something oppressive about this place. The whole room had the stench of…evil. "Leia, why are we arguing in the middle of this awful room? I only meant to say that there is so much pressure on Luke's shoulders to deliver the Jedi Order for the New Republic. I'm not surprised that he left us to go and learn more. No one would have given him the time or the space to do it otherwise – including us. I'm as guilty as everyone else. Think, Leia. Tens of thousands of Jedi down to only one. He's been given an impossible task and I, for one, think it was selfish of Yoda and Obi-Wan to expect him to do it."

"But he _will_ 'do' it. Try is not in the Jedi vocabulary." Leia felt even guiltier as Han voiced the exact thing that she'd been thinking.

"Then he'll need all the help from us that we can give him," Han declared stoutly.

"He feels he owes the Jedi some kind of life debt," Leia said gravely.

"Chewie would understand that one even if I don't."

"You're still with the New Republic," Leia offered thoughtfully.

Han winked at her. "I'm with _you_, not them. What did the Jedi ever do for Luke? They abandoned him when he was born."

"I don't think they had any choice."

"There are always choices. Luke taught _me_ that much." He grabbed a few more data cards from the drawer. "We'll get this area posted off limits, move the department for the reclamation of lost art to another office and get Cracken's people to monitor the removal of the contents."

Leia extinguished her glow rod. "Winter can give us an overview of the contents and then once Luke is back here where he belongs we'll set up a meeting between him and the university people. They could help him with any more data pertaining to the Jedi." They moved back to the outer office to find the nervous clerk gazing in bewilderment at the gap in the wall.

"General Solo…what?"

Han grinned. "I thought I told you to have an early lunch. I can give you permission." He pointed at the rank insignia pinned lopsidedly to his chest. I am a General." He squared his shoulders and tried to look stern. "This is top secret. We cannot mention this to anyone without the highest clearance. You could be fried for even thinking about it. I suggest you go off duty now and report for reassignment first thing tomorrow." Han watched the young man nervously gather his belongings and exit before flipping open his comlink. "Airen? It's Solo here. Could you meet Princess Leia and me in the department for the reclamation of lost art? Oh I would say that this is urgent. I'm at the Imperial Palace…yes. Reclamation for lost art. We've found another of the secret passages old Palpy was so fond of creating and this one has contents we would like to keep quiet for a little while longer." He closed his com and smiled down at his fiancée. "He's on his way."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Dagobah**

Luke began carefully instructing Mara Jade in the ways of the Force by telling her the things that first Obi-Wan, and then Yoda had taught him years before. She hadn't exactly agreed to be trained but he decided that he had removed the Force inhibitor and therefore had a moral obligation to try and teach her something. "The Force is an energy field which binds all living things together. As a Jedi, I strive to understand the power that is within me and also in you. Master Yoda taught me to use the Force to the best of my ability."

"Why?" She sat in front of him, her whole body language unpromising, staring down at his father's lightsaber which now hung on her own belt but he knew that she was listening. For starters, she hadn't run him through with that very lightsaber. Things were looking up.

"During the Old Republic, the Jedi were the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy – impartial observers to the events which shape destiny. When I flew in combat for the Rebellion, I caused many deaths and because of what I did, ended up on the winning side. Of course, they called me a hero. If we'd lost…" He shrugged, his smile a little forced. "It depends on your point of view. It's not something I'm proud of but in war people accept these things. I want to give something back."

"Oh." Mara couldn't think of anything to say. He was so…phlegmatic about it all.

"A Jedi's strength flows from the Force and it is strong in you, Mara. But beware of anger, fear and aggression…they lead to the dark side. You balance dangerously on the edge between good and evil. Soon you will have to make a choice."

She was so strong in the Force; her light was clear and beautiful but cold. He worried about the coldness. She hated him for something he had not done but he had been responsible for the eventual outcome. His father had killed Palpatine to save him; therefore he, Luke Skywalker, _was_ responsible for the death of her master. Yes, he had to give his life to the galaxy but first he had to help this woman.

"Skywalker…_Skywalker!_" Mara's voice interrupted his troubled thoughts. "You zoned out on me there."

"I was just thinking," he said.

"A Jedi who thinks." Her voice was snidely admiring. "That's a new one on me."

"You've known many, hmm?" Luke countered neatly. He wasn't going to let her walk all over him no matter how beautiful she was.

Her face flamed and her mouth closed with a snap.

"There were once many Jedi scholars," Luke chided. "Many beings involved in preserving the history and cultures of billions of worlds. The great libraries on Ossus and on Coruscant were famous for their contents. How I wish I could have seen them."

'Coruscant!' Mara thought hazily. 'Qui-Gon Jinn.' She tilted her head to one side and regarded Luke thoughtfully. "I've been to the site of the Jedi temple on Coruscant," she admitted but didn't tell him that she'd also seen some of the chambers that Palpatine had filled with items plundered from Jedi sites such as the Jedi library on Coruscant. Her master had said that it was for their preservation and she'd had no reason to disbelieve him.

"You have?" Luke sat up, his expression eager. "They know where it was?"

Mara snorted. "Of course they know – it's not difficult to find out if you are careful in whom you ask. Did you grow up on a moisture farm or somewhere similar? Oh, I forgot…of course you did," she said, her attractive mouth twisted in a sneer.

"I am not ashamed of my origins, Mara," Luke said quietly. "My guardians protected and cared for me."

Mara's mouth tightened and she felt ashamed of herself. He couldn't help where he'd been brought up and neither could she. "The Jedi temple was destroyed about twenty-five years ago."

Luke was surprised. "Is that all?" He couldn't quite believe how quickly Palpatine had destroyed the Jedi and how soon people could forget. "I suppose that would be right. Just before I was born."

"You're twenty-five?" Mara asked.

"Yes. How old are you?"

Mara lifted her chin. "I'm not entirely sure. About the same as you, I think, maybe a year younger, maybe a year older."

"You don't remember your parents?"

"Not really." She shook her head airily as if this was of no consequence. "I was raised in the palace and had the best of everything."

"But not your parents, your family. You didn't have them?"

"I didn't need them," she stated defiantly. "I had the Emperor instead and did not miss them." It was a lie – she'd always wondered what it would have been like to have her family close. "What could they give me that he could not?"

Luke could think of several things but didn't say so. He didn't think she would appreciate his words. "But you remember them…images…feelings?"

"I don't think they wanted me to go." Mara tensed her shoulders. Why had she told him that? It wasn't something she'd even thought much about herself. Still, it was true. She could not remember the faces or the names, just the emotions involved. They hadn't wanted her to go with the Emperor.

Luke knew that her family would have had no choice and she'd been raised in the palace instead of within the loving confines of a family. That was why she reminded him of Leia in her manner at times - imperious, cultured, used to having her orders obeyed. But Leia's unconscious hauteur was tempered with caring warmth instilled in her by Bail Organa who had loved his adopted daughter. Mara had had Palpatine. "I have no memory of my mother," he admitted sadly. "I wish I did."

"It happens." Mara's face hardened. She didn't want to think that she was so similar to the casually dressed young Jedi seated in front of her but the similarities were there. "A team of xenoarchaeologists have begun to investigate the temple site. I doubt they'll find very much."

Luke shivered.

Mara saw his face change. "What?"

"I don't know," he said, puzzled. "I just felt cold for a moment." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, regaining his poise. "Have you seen the site since they started investigating?"

"Yes. Your sister took me with her when she visited. Otherwise, they would not have allowed me near it."

"Leia knows? Good."

Mara hesitated and then decided to tell him what she had seen. He was a Jedi and she'd seen the image of another Jedi. It was possible he wouldn't laugh at her and tell her that she was delusional. "I saw something – someone - while I was there. At first I thought that I was imagining things but he was really there. It was the figure of a man."

"Did he have a fuzzy blue outline, sort of transparent like a bad holo?" Luke chuckled at her surprised nod. "An occupational hazard for the Force-strong, I think." He smiled at her. "It's a good thing."

"I'm not so sure. It's never happened to me before."

"You were visited by a former inhabitant of the temple. Your sensitivity to the Force would have called him forth. Did he say anything to you?"

She nodded. "He had quite a lot to say for a dead man."

Luke smiled again. "But he's only dead from a certain point of view."

"You said that about Yoda."

"I did." Luke nodded. "The truths we cling to all depend on how we learned them and from whom."

"Hence, the certain point of view."

"Yes. That seems to be a Jedi characteristic – the certain point of view." Luke chuckled. "It's one of those quirky little maxims that have cropped up constantly in my life so far. I have regularly seen Obi-Wan in his non-corporeal form since he passed on and once I even saw my father. Leia saw our father too, once, even though he was the last person she wanted to see."

"She had issues with your father?"

"_Our_ father. Twins…remember?" Luke's mouth quirked up at the corner in a secretive smile, yet something in his eyes spoke of a profound sadness. "You could say that," he murmured softly but chose not to say anything more on the subject of Leia and their father. "I may be granted a vision of Yoda too, one day. I suspect a spirit Jedi chooses to anchor itself to a Force strong being as a guide."

"I can do quite well without that kind of guide…or anchor, thank you very much." Mara's voice was sarcastic.

"Was it Obi-Wan?" Luke was surprised to hear the wistfulness in his voice. He relished any opportunity to hear about his first master.

"No. This wasn't Kenobi."

"How do you know?"

"I've seen images of Kenobi and this man was taller with longer hair. Anyway, he told me his name and I saw him again last night so I'm certain he is who he said he was. I dreamt about him, damn it." She was beginning to get agitated. "I've seen a lot of strange things over the years but nothing like this. Hearing voices in my head and dreaming is one thing – seeing dead Jedi in the middle of the day is quite another."

"And?" Luke encouraged calmly, curious to discover which of the long dead Jedi masters had chosen to guide this prickly young woman.

"Qui-Gon Jinn."

"Qui-Gon Jinn," Luke echoed.

"That's what I said." Her voice drooped, disappointment swamping her. "You've never heard of him, have you?" Had she been hoping to have visions of one of the more illustrious of the Jedi?

Luke grinned. "Actually, I have. He's quite an interesting character from what I've managed to find out about him so far."

"He was interesting all right. You've _heard_ of him?"

"Yes. He was a bit of a rebel in his time and, more importantly, taught Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon Jinn was Obi-Wan's Jedi Master. He died at the hands of a mysterious Sith-lord. He was going to…" Luke stopped, hesitant about revealing more. He had found some written documents in amongst Obi-Wan's things and Yoda had told him a little about the downfall of the Jedi. He'd wanted Luke to understand what had happened and why the Jedi Order had come to such a pass. Luke had the feeling that Yoda, for all his years of wisdom and knowledge of the Force, didn't truly understand either.

Qui-Gon Jinn had been the Jedi to discover Anakin Skywalker but had not lived to undertake that task. Would Anakin have turned out differently if Qui-Gon and not Obi-Wan had trained him? Luke didn't think so but the future was always in motion and no-one could have truly predicted the terrible outcome. "What did Qui-Gon have to say, if you don't mind my asking?"

Mara gave him a searching look. He'd been about to say something more but had stopped himself. She would play along for now. "Jinn spouted a lot of Jedi platitudes about me being strong with the Force and how he had nothing to gain from anything."

"That's true enough. He became one with the Force many years ago."

"He wants the Jedi to rise again. That's motive enough for me."

"He's still dead. Nothing you do or say will affect his existence."

"I suppose that is true enough," she murmured, echoing Luke's words. "He gave me…or, rather, he told me where to find something to give to you. It was lodged into one of the walls in the ruins of the Jedi temple."

"What is it?"

"I don't know. I was in a hurry to get off-world and didn't look. Actually, there are two items. They could be holocubes or data storage of some sort. I was pointed in the right direction, told to give them to the 'son of Skywalker' and dug them out of the wall. They're covered in cortosis ore and crumbling ferrocem." She stood up, uncoiling her limbs with the grace that Luke found so compelling about her. "I'll go and get them. They're in my ship. I don't know if they were deliberately placed there for someone to find or dropped by accident before the building was destroyed."

"You just want to check that Artoo hasn't demolished your ship."

"The thought had crossed my mind," she said with a sudden smile. As she did so, her face lit up and Luke's breath caught in his throat. It was the first real smile she'd aimed in his direction since she'd crash-landed on Dagobah. He'd thought that she was beautiful cold, imperious and angry but when she smiled… Luke sighed as she disappeared through the twisted gnarl trees towards her ship. It would be very easy to fall in love with this vibrant young woman. He ignored the little voice taunting him with the fact that it was probably too late for him already. He added a new set of objectives to his dealings with Mara and these included getting her to smile at him at least once a day. He didn't care if it wasn't actually at him. Everything would be fine as long as she smiled.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"Hey! Short and round," Mara called sharply to Skywalker's astromech droid. "You'd better not interfere with anything on this ship that doesn't concern you."

The droid rudely blatted something back at her.

Skywalker had ruined that droid. "You need a memory wipe," she muttered under her breath as she left the ship. No droid she'd ever met before spoke with such independence – the Jedi had allowed it – more fool him.

A light wind ruffled the surface of the lake and again the memory of her dreams crossed her mind. She was supposed to be here with Skywalker for however brief a time – this was meant to be. Gone was the idea that she could just turn around and cut him down. Not when she liked him. It wasn't the way she'd expected things to be but like him she did and she didn't like many people.

'_You will kill Luke Skywalker.'_

"No, I won't." For the first time in her entire life, Mara defied the voice inside her head. "I need to keep him alive for now. He could be useful to me." She waited to see if anything happened but the voice didn't answer. She wasn't struck down by a wall of blue Force-lightning nor did she find her chest tightening as breath was starved from her body. All she could hear was the natural sounds of the world she now found herself upon.

She'd only been gone moments but Mara could hear the buzz of the Jedi's lightsaber as she moved through the trees. She held back to watch as he moved through what appeared to be a set routine with the flexibility of a dancer. He moved like no-one she'd ever seen before and a hankering to just accept his offer to train with him almost overwhelmed her. She wanted to be able to do what he could. She knew that with training she could move like that with the lightsaber as an extension of her very being.

"Is Artoo behaving himself?" Luke asked, pivoting on his heel to face her and shutting down the weapon. He had known she was there watching him all along and he'd sensed her desire to learn how to wield the saber as he did.

Mara scowled. "He appears to be doing what he's supposed to be doing. But I don't trust him not to do something stupid."

"Trust him. Artoo knows what he's doing and won't do anything stupid." He hung his saber back onto his belt. "I wouldn't be alive without him."

"Your saber has a green blade," Mara uttered suddenly.

"Yes, sheer chance that, I think. I don't know enough yet to wonder why. I had to make my own focusing jewel – cooked and cut it myself. When I put the weapon together, the blade was green."

"Probably the jewel turned out to be green, "Mara muttered. "Am I supposed to be impressed that you built your own? Every Jedi had one."

"It's considered to be one of the last true tests for an apprentice Jedi aspiring to become a knight. It is not as easy a task as you might think. I was in hiding and there was not a ready supply of focusing Adegan crystals on Tatooine for me to use. It could all have gone horribly wrong."

There was a glint in Mara's green eyes hinting that it was a pity that it had not.

Luke stretched out his hand and lightly touched the weapon hanging from Mara's waist. "My father's blade, the one you now carry, is blue. Sith blades are usually red. It must have something to do with the crystals used in construction or the dark aura of the wielder. Those are the only reasons I can think of."

"Vader wielded a red blade."

"I know. I fought him on a number of occasions. As I said, Sith blades were red." Luke's face changed, his expression shuttered and the young man whose face seemed to reveal nearly everything he was thinking became difficult to read. "Come on," he said. "Let's get inside. I think it's going to rain."

"Now that would be a surprise on this planet," she said sardonically, following him into his rebel-issue shelter. On Dagobah rain was an ever present factor. "Here." Mara handed him the grime encrusted objects and watched curiously as he closed his eyes. Without thinking she did the same, unknowingly linking with him through the Force that was so strong in them both, pulling them towards the place where some answers might be found.

'_Give this to the son of Skywalker.'_

"I thought I had to give these to your son. I didn't know that you had a child."

"I don't."

"I know that now," she bit out irritably.

Luke chuckled when he picked up feelings of exasperation flowing from the woman at his side. Mara had to search for and give these to the child of the man she considered to be her enemy. She'd had enough problems locating Luke Skywalker, the father, and now she had to look for his son?

Mara had originally thought that Luke had fathered a son. How strange. The smile died. He would love to have a son or a daughter – a wife and a family. But the only woman he would ever want to join with didn't like him very much. He retreated into his own mind, his barriers going up around his thoughts. He was actually thinking about children in conjunction with Mara Jade. He fought to control his sudden embarrassment. He was actually thinking about the joining part. That was rather sudden and impetuous even for him but something drifting in the Force told him that it was right – maybe even his destiny. He'd never felt like part of a real family though Owen and Beru had done their best. Leia and Han had come the closest but there was no one just for Luke.

With difficulty, he wrenched his attention away from such a hopeless dream and concentrated on the objects Mara had placed in his hands.

He was immediately thrust into a dark terror-filled world filled with fire, chaos and the frightened screams of children as the world of the Jedi collapsed and died around them, their safety disappearing in hate-filled rivers of scarlet.

Luke's body swayed as he was caught in the nightmarish, kaleidoscopic images flashing past him in a blur of jumbled emotions. An old woman dressed in a robe covered with what seemed to be a form of strange writing was grabbing things from shelves.

"_Our customs, our history will be lost."_

"_No! Preserve as much as possible we will."_ It was Yoda, younger, his stoop less pronounced but with his face grey with worry and fatigue. The fire in his eyes had not diminished._ "Go you must. Stay here you cannot. Not safe it is."_

"_But the books…"_

"_Take what you can. Impossible to take all it is."_

Jedi of all kinds loaded things into boxes and crates and ran to various shuttles and ships waiting to take them to safety. Luke recognised those containers. They were exactly the same as the one he had collected from the university library on Praesitlyn. So information had managed to escape the destruction but where was he to find it? Obi-Wan had been right when he'd spoken of dark times. Children had been slaughtered in cold blood and Luke had an uncomfortable feeling over the identity of the culprit. The dark side had truly held his father's heart and mind.

"_Master Yoda, the beacon?"_ The russet-haired man standing next to the aged Jedi Master held out his hand. In it was a cube-shaped object.

"_Ah, Obi-Wan. Find this they will not. Holds to the light side it does."_ Yoda pulled out his lightsaber and plunged it into the wall next to him. The blade fizzled out. Yoda withdrew it leaving a small cavity. _"The heart of the temple this is, Obi-Wan. One day found this will be by those who take up anew the torch."_

"_I've changed the signal's message. It will direct the Jedi away from Coruscant. We must leave now before it is too late."_ Obi-Wan held up another object.

Yodapushed the blade in once more and again it fizzled and died. But this didn't deter the Jedi Master. He lifted a wrinkled claw-like hand and pushed the second object into the space he had created._ "Ready I am." _

"Cortosis ore," Mara said, opening her eyes.

"You saw all of that?" Luke was impressed.

"I think I caught most of it." Mara, in turn, was amazed at Luke's ability to channel the Force into a memory.

"Cortosis ore?"

"The walls in the Imperial Palace are lined with it - the Emperor's throne room in particular. It's too soft and crumbly to be used as a building material but…"

"I understand," Luke said. "It shorts out lightsaber blades."

"Yes," she said. "The Emperor also had fibres of it woven into his own robe and his guards' uniforms."

Luke raised one eyebrow. "Paranoid wasn't he? I thought he'd destroyed the Jedi Order and, with it, his opposition. Lightsaber combat techniques weren't being offered at any survival schools I'd ever heard of. The Rebel Alliance didn't start up a squadron of lightsaber specialists."

"He'd good cause to fear being attacked by another Jedi or a Sith and time proved him right. You and Vader are both competent with the blade."

"At the risk of sounding boring and repetitive," Luke said wearily. "I did not kill him."

"So you keep saying."

"Because it's the truth!" Luke exclaimed, his voice rising. "How many times do I have to repeat myself? I have no reason to lie."

Mara's face was sullen. "Sure you do."

"One day you will have to trust me," Luke said, his irritation showing. "But until you do I cannot make you believe. Palpatine didn't die because he was beaten in a lightsaber duel. He died because Vader picked him up and threw him down the reactor shaft into the core of the Death Star. Your Emperor could project blue lightning from his fingertips; he didn't need a lightsaber and I never saw him use one. He was far more powerful than I could ever be." He pierced her in place with his clear blue gaze and then swiftly bent his head and studied the objects in his hands.

Mara gazed at his bowed head suspiciously. Was this all another Jedi trick to win her around? Her master was dead and the young Jedi beside her was very much alive.

"It's no trick," Luke said, still not looking at her. "And no, I did not read your thoughts. You can often be predictable in your way of thinking. The expression on your face gave me the answer. You didn't hide that." Luke stood up and, after peering outside at the teeming rain, moved to where he'd set up his portable stove. A few minutes later, he poured some warm water into a small basin.

Mara sat grinding her teeth. She'd never met anyone like this man. One minute she hated him and wanted nothing better than to rid the galaxy of his evil and then it all changed in a heartbeat and he was the kind of man she might want to call 'friend' if she had one. "Well?"

Luke sat down and began to carefully clean the first object of the grey, gritty matter encompassing it. The cube appeared to have been carved from a single piece of smoky blue crystal, yet faint lights flickered at its heart. "I think it's a warning beacon."

"A warning beacon?" Mara echoed. It didn't look like any warning beacon she'd ever seen before.

"Once it may have warned the Jedi of danger but not any more. Its power is too weak now but then, it has been embedded in that wall for nearly thirty years. I hope it did the job it was supposed to. I hope many lives were saved." He concentrated on the cube, a faint sheen of perspiration on his forehead, and managed to coax forth a shimmering transparent image. "It's Yoda and I don't…oh, yes. It's Obi-Wan. A much younger Obi-Wan but it's him right enough."

"We are under attack. The Sith have taken over the city. Do not return to the temple." The image wavered. "I repeat, we are under attack."

Luke frowned. "Give me your hand, Mara."

"Why?"

"Just do it." He held out his left hand.

"That's your real hand," she said hesitating.

"I know it is," he said. "What difference does it make to you?"

"None," Mara snapped.

"It does to me. We need more power," Luke said. "I'm not strong enough on my own." His eyes met hers, clear blue sending a message to sharp green. "No one is."

"But…" Mara heaved a sigh. "Oh, alright. That kind of power." She gingerly placed her hand in that of the Jedi, trying to ignore the tingle that ran through her body at the feel of his hand against hers. It was warm and strong and…

Luke's mouth quirked into a smirk that Han would have been proud of. His hand tightened on hers, loving the way it felt. "Why Mara," he said impishly. "What did you think that I wanted to hold your hand for?"

She gave her hand a tug but found that he'd captured it quite effectively.

"Focus," he instructed. "It's activated by the Force. Alone I haven't enough power. Together we may have enough. I'm not going to trespass on your thoughts."

Mara's eyes narrowed. "You'd better not or I'll kill you now instead of later."

Luke just grinned. Her constant threats were beginning to lack real fire. She hadn't killed him yet and he was beginning to hope it was almost affectionate. "Ssh. Concentrate. Free your mind and focus on the beacon."

Mara did so and immediately felt the power that Luke possessed drawing her in. Shelving her misgivings, she let herself add her power to his and almost gasped at the way the whole universe seemed to expand before her.

"We are under…" The image of Yoda and Kenobi steadied and faced whatever technology was being used to record the message. Obi-Wan's face was set as if he'd undergone a personal tragedy too great to bear. Luke suspected that he knew what that was – Anakin's defection and betrayal. "We are under attack. Greetings, Jedi. As you will already know, we have been gravely betrayed and are in dire peril of being extinguished from the galaxy. We need to find a safe place to regroup and consider our next move. Do not return to Coruscant and trust no one in authority, especially government troops. Many of our number have already become one with the Force. The dark side has gained ascendancy. You will know where to go." The image flickered and died.

"Go where?" Luke wondered, glancing at Mara.

"Here?" she suggested.

Luke shook his head. "I don't think so. At some point, Yoda must have decided to come here but only when there was no hope left. The remaining Jedi were too few or too weak to undertake a fight against the power of Palpatine and the dark side. Obi-Wan and Yoda must have been present at my birth. Obi-Wan delivered Leia to Bail Organa on Alderaan and then took me to Beru and Owen Lars on Tatooine, where he chose to remain, watching over me until the time was right."

"Your sister got the better deal," Mara said.

"Maybe…maybe not. I did not have to watch Alderaan die in front of me and I loved my aunt and uncle. They gave me old fashioned values which are still a part of me today." He looked down at their hands which were still joined and rubbed his thumb across her soft skin. Her hands, like everything else about her, were beautifully shaped, the skin soft but with the tell-tale calluses on her fingers and palms earned by wielding a blaster or even a lightsaber. She was the first true equal he had ever met apart from his sister – a strong woman and a determined one. The more time he spent in her company, the more he admired her. "I thought that I hated Tatooine but I don't. I couldn't wait to leave it but I now have a yen to return there one day. It calls to me. The desert gets under your skin and into your blood. It will always be part of me."

Mara could feel the soothing effect of his thumb rubbing across her skin. His hands were strong with the roughness which told of a man used to hard work. She liked that about him. This was no effete Coruscant bureaucrat. Suddenly feeling awkward, Mara sharply pulled her hand from Luke's and immediately missed the warmth of the connection. Unsure of herself in the company of the young Jedi, Mara took refuge in her customary hostility, pulling it about herself like a shabby well-worn cloak.

"The other…whatever it is, Farmboy?"

Luke felt the sudden chill as her manner frosted over and carefully began to clean the other grime encrusted object. She was right about the cortosis ore; unfortunately, the duracrete filler was not so easy to dislodge. "I think it's a holocron," he muttered.

Mara could sense the hope building up inside him. "A holocron?"

"Yes, it's a repository for knowledge."

"I know what a holocron is," she interrupted. "My master had several, I think."

Luke lifted his head eagerly. "Do you know where they are now?" he asked expecting her to deny all knowledge.

She shook her head. "No. He had several storehouses – places where he kept things. I gave Leia the location of one of the smaller ones still hidden in the Imperial Palace. I'm sure she and Solo will be going through the contents as we speak. I cannot recall seeing a holocron kept there. If I knew, I would tell you."

"You would?" Luke's voice rose in surprise. "But I thought you wanted to kill me. The knowledge would be wasted."

"I did want to kill you. I mean I do – I did." She wrung her hands together, her once admirable control vanishing. "I don't know what I want to do about you."

Luke was beginning to see beneath the façade. Mara Jade was not who she thought she was. "I like you too, Jade."

"I wouldn't go that far," Mara managed to squeeze out between her teeth after a startled glance in Luke's direction.

"I'm not a puzzle to be solved. I'm just a man."

"Yeah."

He gave a soft chuckle. "Pass me that soft brush lying on my desk," he said. Mara did so and watched as he gently massaged away the last of the ore. It was as he had thought – a holocron. Shaped like a many-faceted star, it sat on the palm of Luke's outstretched hand.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

21


	24. Chapter 24

**Out of the Shadows 24**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title and for Michele for taking the time to read.

**Dagobah**

By now, Luke was used to the whimsical vagaries of the universe but this situation seemed even more strange and magical to him. He sat on a rebel-issue cot on an almost unknown world with a star-shaped holocron in the palm of his hand. Beside him was the most beautiful woman he had ever known who once was an enemy and could, he hoped, become a friend and ally, although that state of affairs was further away than he would have liked. He didn't sense any desire for his friendship within her. However, the ways of the Force were strange. "Now," he mused. "How do I activate this?" He tilted his head to one side and focused his intent gaze on the holocron letting the Force flow through him.

The precious object balanced in his hand began to glow and then, with a soft whoosh, an image shimmered into life after many years of inactivity. "Greetings fellow Jedi. I am Jedi Master Vihbi Fozs, gatekeeper to the secrets and treasures of this holocron." The speaker was a stately looking Falleen, his green face impassive, black hair appearing from a point on the top of his otherwise bald head.

Luke bowed his head politely in a show of deference. "I am Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker and this is Mara Jade." He couldn't think of the appropriate terminology to describe Mara. She was Force-strong but wasn't a Jedi apprentice or even a friend…not yet. One day she would be. He had introduced her to the gatekeeper – it was a start.

The Falleen's voice was deep and smooth and seemed to resonate through them. "The Force is strong with you and your companion, young Jedi. What do you seek to learn?"

Luke glanced at Mara. "I don't think he can help us but then again, you never know."

"Help us do what?" Unsure and surprised at being included amongst the Jedi, Mara glared at the patiently waiting Jedi Master.

"Find the lost Jedi," Luke said quietly.

"Lost Jedi!" Mara repeated, momentarily surprised. "How do you know that there are any to find?"

Luke gave the tiny characteristic shrug of his shoulder which Mara had noted him doing when he was sure of his subject but unsure of how much to reveal to another. "I know because I am one of them, as is Leia and of course…yourself."

Mara scowled. She had not even considered herself to be 'Jedi potential' and here Skywalker was already including her in the mix. She found within her a strange mixture of revulsion and pride at the thought of it.

Luke held out his hand in appeal. "Surely we cannot be all that is left? The Jedi once numbered in the tens of thousands spread throughout the galaxy. Some of them, or their descendents, have to have survived – it is a logical conclusion. Can't you hear them calling out for you as you sleep? I can. I hear them in my dreams - asleep and awake."

"How can he," she jerked her head in the direction of the green-skinned Falleen, "help us to find the whereabouts of the lost Jedi? He's been 'one with the Force' for even longer than Qui-Gon Jinn." She shuddered. "He reminds me of Xizor. The cold-blooded Falleen have the reputation of being totally self-serving and highly calculating and I can tell you that their reputation is well deserved. Not the best race to become Jedi."

Luke grimaced. "So you've met the dark prince as well, huh?"

"How could you meet Xisor?"

Luke lifted a shoulder carelessly. "I came across him a few years back and that was not by choice."

"What happened?" Mara asked before she could stop herself. It wasn't that she was curious about Skywalker's exploits…she just was. The man held a fascination for her.

"Unsurprisingly, he wanted me dead." He gave a wry grin. "Shall we say in our sole encounter didn't quite go according to his plan and his palace was never quite the same after we left."

"That was because of you?" Her voice rose in a fashion she didn't like. She cleared her throat and willed her voice back to normal. "It couldn't have been."

A muscle in Luke's cheek twitched and he nodded. "Actually, destroying the castle was Lando's idea – he had a spare thermal detonator – one of those really big ones. I must give credit where it is due."

"You have a shaky grasp on reality." Mara took a deep breath and tried to control her wayward emotions. She remembered the chaos of Xizor's castle collapsing and his subsequent disappearance. He'd never been seen or heard of again. To her knowledge, the Emperor had assumed that Vader was behind the whole affair, the Dark Lord of the Sith having made no secret of his antagonism and disdain for the head of the Black Sun Crime Syndicate. Instead it had been Skywalker who had been behind it all along. She could sense that the Jedi was telling the truth but also suspected that he was leaving out more than he was telling. "_You_ were on Coruscant?"

"My one and only visit to the jewel of the galactic empire," Luke said with a chuckle. "I had no time to see any of the sights and I'd read about them so much. I suspect that Vader had something to do with Xizor's eventual disappearance. I believe that Vader and the Prince did not have a good working relationship. Vader disliked Xizor more than he wanted to capture me. He didn't want Xizor to win. I have a sneaking suspicion that there was more at stake than one insignificant rebel."

Mara gave a dry, mocking laugh. "_'Insignificant rebel!' I_ don't think anyone ever thought that of you, Skywalker. Not if you knew the resources the Empire wasted trying to find you. It's no surprise to me. The enmity between Vader and Xizor was well knownas Xizor had plans to replace Vader as the Emperor's second-in-command of the entire galaxy. Vader and the Emperor both knew that."

"Xizor wasn't Force-strong," Luke said, wondering if he should take Mara's comments as a sort of underhanded compliment. "Intelligent and devilishly cunning, yes, but he didn't have the Force. It would never have happened – Palpatine's second had to be a Sith. I would bet my ramshackle X-wing that the Emperor sat back and watched them try to outdo one another. It would have kept them from joining together to remove him from power. After the first Death Star blew,Xizor and Vader both put bounties on my head. One of them wanted me alive and the other one wanted me dead. It just depended on whoever posted the greater amount."

"Let me guess," Mara said. "Vader wanted you alive?"

"I recall that I did say that Xizor wanted me dead. Yes, Vader planned to gift-wrap me and hand me over to the Emperor."

"Yet, he offered you the galactic throne instead. The visit to the Emperor came later once you had a chance to think about it."

Luke's mouth hardened. "There's far more to that story than you have been told. I completely rejected his offer and escaped, minus my right hand, with the help of my friends. I would never have joined the Empire."

"I know you rejected his offer then," she said bitterly. "But you accepted it later on."

"No, I did not," Luke denied, his whole body stiffening. Why wouldn't she believe him? He let his tension drain away – his anger would do him no good. "I would never have joined the Empire," he stated firmly, truth ringing through his words. "Not willingly. I would rather have died."

"You did," Mara argued coldly. "You and Vader turned on my master and cut him down. You look very much alive to me, Jedi Skywalker."

"You've only been here two days and we're already rehashing old territory," Luke said wearily. "That was not how it happened. I've told you," he insisted. "When I refused to join Palpatine my death was inevitable. He was afraid of my eventual power. I was the only one who was dying. Vader saved me at the cost of his own life and he knew that it was the only way."

"Tell me the truth," Mara demanded, her eyes suddenly blazing green in her pale face. There was much that he wasn't telling her and whatever the information was could be vital to her understanding. "What happened? Why would Vader save you knowing that he would die?"

Luke's head dropped and he stared hard at his muddy boots. It hadn't taken her long to reach the crux of things. "I can't…not now." He glanced up quickly. "I will tell you one day," he promised earnestly, "but now is not the time. You are not ready to believe the truth."

What was he hiding, Mara wondered? Because he was definitely hiding something and that something concerned Vader. Why had Darth Vader saved Luke Skywalker at the expense of his own life? It did not add up. "Who are you to tell me what I can believe?" she snapped. She could feel how uneasy he was whenever Vader's name was mentioned.

"It's obviously not me," Luke ground out between his teeth, trying to keep calm. Again he wondered why she wouldn't believe him? This woman could really try his dwindling patience and she was no fool. What happened if she guessed his secret? It wasn't just his to tell. "Not all the Falleen are like Xizor," he declared firmly. "You must be patient and never pre-judge an entire species on so little information. It's rather narrow-minded of you and something I had not expected."

Mara stiffened. She wasn't like that…was she?

"With an example like Xizor it is not surprising that you feel the way you do." Luke casually lifted a hand. "Many have argued that the human species is not suited to becoming Jedi either, as they are too easily swayed by their emotions. One of the most difficult things I had to learn was patience and though sometimes it still escapes me, I do my best. There were many human Jedi and all of them had difficulties to master. The Falleen made good Jedi because of their cold use of intelligence and logic."

Mara had to learn patience and control as he had. It was not an easy lesson to learn – he could testify to that. She also had to become more tolerant of other races but then she was a true child of Palpatine's Empire and his anti-alien bias was well documented. "We are but one species of many."

"I…never considered." Mara closed her mouth. Did he think she held the same view of aliens that many in the Empire had? She didn't. The memory of the kindly bar owner who had taken her in and given her a job after she'd escaped from Ysanne Isard following the death of the Emperor crossed her mind. He had treated her like she thought he would have a daughter. She didn't want Luke to think that of her. No, not 'Luke'. He was 'Skywalker'.

Luke's voice was careful as he traced the outline of the beautiful, fragile object in his hand and his eyes met those of the patiently waiting hologram. "It has been a dark time for the Jedi, Master Fosz," he admitted. "We are pitifully few in number." He didn't want to admit that he was the sole fully trained Jedi Knight in the entire galaxy – not until he had to. "I am seeking those that were lost, those who have hidden themselves away and those with bloodlines in which the Force is strong. The records were destroyed to keep them safe and I need to know how to find them again?"

e then gave a rueful grin

Jedi Master Vihbi Fosz pursed his lips thoughtfully before answering, his voice low and cultured. "They will eventually seek you out but first, you have to step into the sunlight. You still linger in hidden places. No one can find you there amongst the shadows. Be what you were born to be."

Luke marvelled at the percipience of the hologram. How could he know so much? Luke knew that he hesitated to take his next step; the shadows he was hiding in were comforting and safe. His father's dark legacy weighed on him. He had nearly turned once, his rage rising at the thought of the Emperor using Leia to keep his twisted grasp on power, and he feared for the galaxy if he did so again. He had subdued that anger but had to keep the darkness at bay as did all Jedi. It was part of the whole balance of the Force.

"You must start anew. The past is behind you. You must step forward. Your master has told you of fear and what it does?"

Luke nodded, his face grave. "Yes, many times," he said, turning his mind away from the things that he could not change back to the things that he could deal with. The lost Jedi were the first step in creating something that had vanished with the darkness. He asked the question that had lingered the most in his thoughts. "Suppose these beings didn't survive or have no knowledge of their destiny, Master Fosz? Are there enough Force-gifted beings left in the galaxy?"

"Jedi always seek their own kind whether they realise who and what they are or not. They will find you. They have little choice. The Force did not abandon the universe. In dark times when the light is hidden, they seek the shadows and wait."

"As do the Sith." Luke's eyes darkened.

"Only two at a time of the Sith there ever were."

"And I saw them both die," Luke murmured. "I was there. They are gone from this universe never to return."

"The dark side is never gone. Be watchful, young Jedi. The Sith have ways of returning. There are ways beyond death."

"They do…they can?" For an instant Luke's face showed shock before he bowed his head deferentially, hiding his emotions and acceding to the Jedi Master's far greater knowledge in the ways of the Force. The dark side was a foe he would fight forever. "Of course they do. I thank you for your counsel and your warning."

As if he knew he was no longer required for the moment, Jedi Master Fosz bowed and faded away. Luke stared at the place the hologram had occupied before placing the holocron reverently onto his desk.

Mara frowned. "That made no sense to me."

"I'm not sure about some of it either but there was something in what he said – a clue or a warning. I will meditate on it. We cannot become complacent."

Mara gave a hoot of laughter. "Don't tell me that you actually meditate?"

"Yes, I do." Luke tried not to show that her derision had needled him. "I've always been an impatient, restless individual. I find that meditation settles me, clears my mind and calms my emotions. I see images from the past and sometimes the future, but the future is always in motion and what you see can be changed. I submerge myself even deeper within the Force to try and foresee what will happen. Sometimes everything fits the way it should. More often than not it does not. Yoda said that I was both blessed and cursed with this ability. It is one way to seek answers although there are others."

His eyes were direct and she could sense no hidden mockery in their vivid blue depths but it was in her nature to push. "I thought that was a myth and only monks and old men indulged in such things. Monks do it because it is expected of them and old men do so because they need to sleep of an afternoon."

"Do you consider me old before my time?" Luke asked, taken aback at what she was saying.

Mara blinked in surprise. "No. What kind of a stupid question is that? We are definitely of an age. The Force preserve me from farm boys from tenth rate planets." She looked up and down at his hard young body and smiled sensuously, her green eyes darkening with mischief and a hint of unconscious desire. "I wouldn't know if you were a prudish Jedi monk but it's easy to find out. The galactic newsnets were not overflowing with tales of your conquests amongst the female ranks of the rebellion. Are you a monk, Jedi Skywalker?"

Luke flushed. His aunt had always impressed upon him that a true gentlemen never discussed such things and even after many years bunking with the rest of Rogue Squadron, he tried to keep to that rule. "That's my business," he said tersely. "And not the proper thing to do. My aunt taught me good manners." He wasn't a monk but neither was he particularly experienced when it came to dealing with the opposite sex. Mara Jade was definitely a woman but he thought it unlikely she would let him touch her again. His mind drifted back to their first encounter on Druckenwell and how right she'd felt in his arms.

Her lips quirked into a smile. "So none of your former conquests have had the urge to kiss and tell? How unusual. The galactic newsnets don't know what they are missing."

Luke's lips tightened. It was time to try and change the subject even if she did think he was a prude. "I know we are of an age. I wanted to ask you - do you think me old-fashioned?" As the question left him, he realised that he hadn't changed the subject after all. There was a glint in Mara's eyes which made him feel uneasy.

Mara tipped her head sideways and assessed the man in front of her trying to cover his discomfiture. She had never met anyone like him before – ever. "In some ways…yes." Her assessment was blatantly predatory.

"Whatever you think about me, I will still meditate," he managed to say. "It focuses my mind and I see things."

She leaned towards him. "I thought you wanted to see what I could do with your old lightsaber." Her soft red lips curved with amusement at seeing the calm façade ruffled as he flushed again, full of embarrassment over her sly innuendos. So Luke Skywalker wasn't as emotionless as he made himself out to be and Mara reckoned that she had just found a chink in his armour. He was still an innocent in many ways. Oh, she doubted that he was a complete innocent in the ways of the flesh but he was not an experienced man. Still, it was surprising that none of his former relationships had given in to the amount of credits offered for an exposé on the sexual affairs of the galaxy's sole Jedi Knight. Unless the monkish part was true - which would be a pity. Mara found to her disquiet that she didn't like to think of Luke as having no interest in the opposite sex but didn't want to examine her reasons why too closely.

For the Emperor, she had used her beauty as a weapon on a number of occasions. This was the first time that she had truly enjoyed the effect.

"My old lightsaber?" Luke took a steadying breath. He had the feeling she would try to unsettle him any way that she could. "I do want to see what you can do with it."

"Are you ready?" Mara unhooked the saber Luke had given her from her waist, stalked out into the area in front of Luke's shelter and assumed a combat stance.

"I'm ready for anything," he answered. "But are _you_?" Luke reached out and a training remote floated to his hand. Altering some of the settings, he grinned at her. "Let me see what you can do with this first."

"A _training_ remote!" Mara drew herself up, thoughts of upsetting the Jedi's equilibrium gone as other outraged feelings of hurt pride took their place. She was a fully trained assassin, the Emperor's Hand. She wanted to fight Luke Skywalker, not feebly parry a remote like a rank amateur.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Coruscant**

At night she dreamt about the palace on Byss - the place where she had learned so much of her craft, the secret room deep in the comforting darkness of evil where the formless, apparently anonymous clone floated gently in its maturation chamber. She'd never been allowed into the heart of this sacred place but she knew of its existence and longed to be there.

"Soon My Lord," she crooned softly, imagining that she was pressing her hands against the cool transparisteel container containing the maturing body of what would once more be her master. But it wasn't soon enough. She had already waited four years and would have to wait at least four years more unless there was another way to speed up the growth process. It was a long and lonely wait for her, who had waited for him when the others had not. They were alone together against the galaxy.

The fear returned as it always did. What if someone should stop her? But there was no one - only a barely trained boy whose whereabouts seemed to be in doubt. The Jedi had been vanquished and it was unlikely that they would rise again. Any of the families which spawned these corrupt fools, she had found and executed. It had been difficult, as those that had survived had been hidden well, Yet there seemed to be something in the air – a new awareness in the Force. Jedi artefacts were surfacing with an uncanny regularity and it was becoming almost impossible to get to them before others did. Could this be an omen? She had never been able to read the minute shifts in the patterns and layers of the Force the way that her master and Lord Vader had been able to but she was attuned strongly to the Force and she sensed a strengthening. Or she _had_ been strongly attuned to the Force once upon a time. When her master had died her skills had waned but recently…

Yes, there was something alive that hadn't been there for a very long time.

She tossed restlessly in her sleep. No one would stop her. Her Master would guide her as he always had. He had halted the growth of the Jedi at their source but he had always been there for his own followers – almost as exacting and loving as a stern parent. It would be good to have him back. She could wait until then. The Sith had hidden their darkness for many thousands of years before they had sprung their trap. Therefore she must not ruin _His_ return with her lack of faith.

Folla Rule opened her eyes. It was pitch black in her chamber – she preferred it that way. Outside her window, Coruscant's nightly laser show would be as bright as day and she shunned the vulgarity of the coloured lights. Sleep seemed elusive and with a sigh, she pushed away her covers and reached for the robe lying at the end of her bed. The remnants of her dream remained with her, the remembered sensation of something alive in the air – someone vital, lingering with her. Another Force-strong being had crossed her path recently but when and who and where?

The sensation was so rare but she still knew it for what it was – the Force.

She stood up and paused, her robe ignored in her hand as her clever mind sifted through information. "Ah!" Folla breathed with satisfaction as the memory clicked into place. The speeder that had left the Jedi Temple site just after she'd arrived had drawn her attention when it should not have been noticed at all amongst all the activity taking place. The sensation had been almost familiar. Who had been piloting that craft? It had to be someone with a Force signature. Could it have been someone able to wreck all her carefully nurtured plans?

She fastened her robe around her slender waist with an almost aggressive snap. There was a major problem brewing. How was she to discover the identity of the pilot? This was a near-impossible task. She needed to have her special things around her.

Without bothering to get dressed or secure her hair into a braid, Folla left her chambers and made her way to the carefully locked and guarded vaults belonging to the University of Coruscant. It was one of the benefits of living above her job - almost unlimited access to the museum exhibits. The security detail was used to her movements at peculiar times of the day and night but she had no interest in what they thought. They did not matter.

The department of Xenoarchaeology held an inordinate amount of items in trust for the many worlds of the galaxy. Some, they agreed to loan out for various exhibitions or displays but there were others too precious or fragile to do so and, therefore, they remained permanently hidden away. There was another category of items that Folla decreed too dangerous to be let out of her personal jurisdiction and only she was aware of their existence. Included in this group were many of the Jedi and Sith artefacts that she'd 'rescued'. The rest of the Academic community had no idea that these items even existed and she wasn't planning on telling them.

She stood for a moment waiting for the bio-scanner to recognise her genetic code before walking towards the large durasteel door guarding the vault. While punching in the code that admitted her alone, Folla's dark eyes gleamed in the soft lighting of the corridor. With a soft hiss, the door swung open. Her eyes immediately tracked to the gold statue of the goddess Aleema and the parchments they'd taken from Kaellin III. It was a notable find but still, her collection was incomplete. There should have been a box of items from the university library on Praesitlyn and the saber that had been taken from Kaellin III had been stolen right in front of her nose. Another Force adept?

She seethed silently. The feeling of someone else… others there in the shadows, others she couldn't quite see, fuelled her ire. And to add to her problems, Leia Organa wanted to collect Jedi artefacts too. Folla had originally assumed it was because Luke Skywalker was her Organa's lover, but the reports had never shown any romantic entanglements between the missing Jedi and the haughty Alderaanian Princess. They were very close but nothing more than friendship had ever been proved between them. Leia Organa was still reputed to be too enamoured of her Corellian lover to be romantically interested in Skywalker, but interested she was. So if wasn't sex…what was it?

Folla Rule did not understand the rules of friendship and platonic love and never had – probably never would.

This could prove to be a problem. If Organa continued to get in her way she would have to do something about it. The archaeologist did not underestimate the princess. Anyone who had led the rag-tag rebels to victory had to be dangerous. She would deal with the princess if she had to - this was a competition she had to win. No one must stand in the way of her service to her master.

And then something else struck her. She'd felt the Force most keenly at the Jedi temple but had assumed apart from the mysterious speeder pilot, that any vibes came from the site itself. But…suppose it came from somewhere else or someone else.

Just before she'd returned to Coruscant to the unearthing of the Jedi temple site, she'd located a Jedi family in hiding. Strange to think of the frail old lady as a danger. Folla's lips twitched into a mocking smile. She'd later discovered that the old woman's mind had been gone for many years and there was no evidence that her doltish son had inherited his mother's Force abilities, being content to work in the mine like his father before him. But it was better to be safe than sorry. It had been messy and time consuming but there was no other way. The family's killer would never be traced. She had been trained well. The identity of the Emperor's hand had been known only to Palpatine himself and she continued to serve him even after his death.

Very few Jedi had survived the purges and, luckily before then, relationships and therefore procreation had been frowned upon if not exactly forbidden. Otherwise it would have been far more difficult to rid the galaxy of such vermin. Generations of ingrained abstinence was difficult to break which meant that the Jedi who had managed to survive found it difficult to form normal lasting relationships and go on to bear children. She'd researched many of the existing Jedi bloodlines trying to discover what brought a Force sentient being into the world and often it was purely by chance. The fleeing Jedi had gone into hiding, infiltrating ordinary villages on colony and backwater worlds until they were discovered. It had been a chance name on a list she'd been perusing that had brought the end of the little world the family on Osar had created for themselves.

Kehta Kun-Marliss had been a low-level med corps worker sent to aid a plague outbreak on a backwater world and she'd been forgotten about when General Order code 66 had been implemented. Somehow Kun-Marliss had been warned and had gone to ground. She'd arrived on Osarian not long after, ostensibly seeking work, had married, borne a child and lived in the same small village since the Clone Wars had ended. She could have been discovered at any time but had remained safe. She'd had the reputation of being somewhat fey but none of her fellow villagers had denounced her to the local garrison commander. If she had managed to remain alive for so long then surely others had too.

When it came to the subject of bloodlines, Organa's friend, Skywalker, was rumoured to have been fathered by a Jedi. She chuckled darkly. "Naughty." Someone had broken the precious Jedi Code and had to have experienced some passion. This topic bore more research when she had time. But for the next couple of weeks, she had to stay on Coruscant and see if the excavation on the temple site brought anything new to light and there was, as yet, no sign of the absent Skywalker. Perhaps it was time to cultivate Organa and find out exactly why she was so interested in the Jedi. It couldn't do any harm. It might even provide funding for future projects if she was seen to be sympathetic to the interests of the Alderaanian princess.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Dagobah**

"What's wrong?" Luke turned to see Mara glaring at the remote hovering in the air above her head.

"It's been three days and I'm still working with the remote," she complained.

It was three days since she'd agreed to do a little training. He was surprised that she'd remained with him willingly for that length of time. Her ship's repairs were almost complete and she'd long healed from her slightly unorthodox arrival on the planet. Luke smiled and nodded. "I know," he said mildly. "Be thankful it isn't longer. But I had to be sure about your abilities. This has to be frustrating for you as I can see how quickly you learn." He didn't point out to her that there were more than lightsaber drills to be learned at this point. He was also testing the limits of her patience. "I couldn't have you cutting off your own limb or, even worse, one of mine. I'm already down one."

"How can you joke about that?" Mara was amazed at his sang-froid. She knew the story from what the Emperor had told her and had discovered the rest when she'd read his medical files. Darth Vader had severed his arm at the wrist during their fight at Bespin.

"How can I not? It is part of how I accept what happened to me. It is also what makes me what I am today. I learned many lessons that day but only realised the value of them much later. I could have given up – wallowed in self-pity and darkness - and there were times when I came perilously close. I chose to go on. I had people who were depending on me and whom I needed to keep me sane in a galaxy gone mad."

Mara jerked to one side, narrowly avoiding a bolt from the hovering remote and turned back, glaring vibroshivs at Luke. That remote was possessed, in Mara's opinion, by a malignant spirit. It had to be. She'd never been caught so many times by other pieces of equipment. "Yet you chose to leave them."

"I had to. It was for my own good. The Alliance…"

"The New Republic," Mara corrected.

"The New Republic," Luke repeated dutifully. "Would not have given me time to become my own man. They would not have given me the time to train. There would have been one crisis after another. I would have felt duty bound to go and help my friends whenever they found trouble." Han and Leia were the sort of people who managed to find trouble – a lot. "I cannot be a tame Jedi for them – for anyone. The Jedi were impartial observers…or they were supposed to be. I think they got too caught up in the politics of the declining Old-Republic and failed to see the true danger of what lay ahead. I cannot succumb to such blindness or I am doomed before I begin. Leaving my sister and my friends was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do but also one of the most important. I once put what I thought was their needs ahead of what I knew to be true and it almost destroyed me. I now know that this was the only way I could become a true Jedi Knight."

Mara was astounded at his insight. He was probably correct.

"As Han would say, 'we're not always the good guys.' We do not always look at a situation from an unbiased viewpoint and deal with it accordingly. None of us are perfect and we all make mistakes."

"You?"

"Sure," he said with his characteristic self-deprecating shrug. "I'm human."

"That's never been completely verified," Mara muttered under her breath.

"Was that a joke, Jade?" Luke's keen ears picked up on her comment.

"What do you think?" she challenged.

"I think there's a sense of humour in there somewhere. You're gonna need it."

"Jedi!" she said in disgust, turning away from his grinning face. The Jedi were not supposed to have time to laugh. Yet this young man with his vibrant blue gaze and occasionally glimpsed infectious smile was ridding her swiftly of her preconceived ideas.

"Yes, I am a Jedi," Luke said gently, his hand touching her arm bringing her back around to face him. "And it is an honour for me to be able to call myself by that title. I need to be able to decide who is in the right in any dispute, not because of political sympathies but because they _are_ right."

"Oh."

"I also need the healing power of laughter." His eyes scanned her stance. "You've been taught well," Luke praised her. "But by a master swordsman, not a Jedi weapons expert. Wielding a saber is far more than learning to fight. It is a discipline for the mind and the body. Did the Emperor ever…?"

"No," she said shortly. Skywalker was correct. She'd trained, not with her saber but with swords, similar in length but totally different in the way it felt. The lightsaber felt as if it was alive in her hands. "He arranged for me to be given a lightsaber but I never saw him use one."

"You were his servant but also a potential threat. Always remember that. Your Emperor did. He would not want your skill to eventually exceed his own. He was the most powerful Force user I ever came across apart from Master Yoda, of course. My master, however, only used his power when absolutely necessary. A true expert with a lightsaber is an awesome and humbling sight. The first time I saw Obi-Wan use his saber was in the cantina in Mos Eisley. It wasn't much of a fight but I'd never seen anyone move so fast. The second time…" He stopped. He'd seen his father kill his first mentor. It had been hard. "If you'd seen how Vader…"

"But I have seen…" Mara hesitated, as a memory surfaced. "I saw…"

"You saw Vader fight?" Luke's voice sounded strange even to his own ears. "Against a live opponent?"

Mara gave the young Jedi an odd look. "No, against a modified battle-droid tailored to his exact specifications – one capable of killing virtually every species in the galaxy." Her voice was breathless with remembered awe. "He destroyed it in seconds. It was…"

"Impressive," Luke finished her sentence. He couldn't admit to Mara that he would have liked to have seen Vader fight when it wasn't directed against him. He could have learned so much from his father. Yoda and Obi-Wan had both told of his father's prowess with the lightsaber. He held out his hand and the hovering remote flew into his grasp, whereupon he tucked it safely into his belt. "Enough for now," he remarked cheerfully. "Go and see if Artoo has finished with the repairs on your ship."

"He'd better have," Mara said with a frown but her tone lacked fire. She couldn't believe how content she was to stay on Dagobah. It had been all too easy to become immersed in the nothing that Luke Skywalker called a life, yet he seemed occupied and fulfilled as he trained and studied amongst the dank swamps and she'd found herself to be content too. Her burning antagonism had receded and she'd found his company tolerable, even pleasant at times. Yet, something had changed since her arrival and the death of his master. Skywalker was gradually packing up his belongings into crates and boxes and she was certain that she'd heard him completing a holo-recording to send to his sister and Solo. His little camp grew barer by the day.

"You're getting ready to move on, aren't you?" she said suddenly.

Luke lifted his head and stared at her, surprise on his face. "How did you guess?"

"It's not that difficult to notice unless you're just having a major clean-up session around the camp."

Luke turned and walked into his shelter. "It's time for me to leave here. There is nothing left for me on Dagobah now that my master has gone. I'm ready to go home…well, I want, no, I _need_ to see Leia. I've missed her and Han so much. She is home for me. I haven't had what I consider to be a real home since I left Tatooine…unless I was with her." He looked at Mara. "Yes, even before we knew what we were to one another. After Tatooine and Alderaan and the first Death Star, we were both alone. We became a family along with Han and Chewbacca for necessary comfort."

"My home used to be the Imperial Palace," Mara said proudly following him. She'd never known what it was to need someone the way that Skywalker talked about his sister and suddenly found a desire to know what exactly it was like to have a real family.

"I can't imagine that being cosy," Luke murmured absently, his eyes scanning over the holodiscs on one of his shelves.

"Cosy!" Mara rolled her eyes. "I lived in the _palace_." Her voice rose. "I was the Emperor's Hand, not some mere member of the Imperial navy. I had power and prestige and…"

"And when the Emperor died, no one knew who you were. You were imprisoned and hounded from your home," he said softly, though the words seemed louder to Mara than the mightiest shout. "They thought you were a court dancer – a concubine – a nonentity." Luke could suddenly see the members of the Imperial Court and hear the whispers surrounding Mara, feel the resentment she felt at their vindictive, small-minded slurs, yet experience the pride she had in personally serving Palpatine. "You had nothing and no one save what the Emperor granted to you and when he died you lost everything you had. That doesn't sound like power and prestige to me."

"What do you know about it?" she spat, each word Luke uttered feeling like a vibroshiv on her heart. It was as if Luke had pulled open her chest and bared her soul for all to see. He'd stripped away all her defences leaving her raw and bleeding. It was all true…all of it. She was in turmoil but couldn't just accept her defeat. Summoning up her remaining defences, the remnants of her usual defiance still visible in her eyes, she choked out shakily, "you were a rebel on the run. You had nothing like I had."

Luke moved in towards her, his hands reaching up to lightly grasp her shoulders as he stared into her mesmerising green eyes. "I had Leia and Han. Home is where they are, wherever and whatever that is. They're my_ family_." He could feel her shoulder start to tremble. "Long before I knew she was my sister, Leia was the only family I had in the galaxy. Han too. I would have died on that first Death Star if Han hadn't come back for me. We were equals…we were friends. It didn't matter if he had everything or nothing – we had each other." Luke knew he'd made his point by the suddenly frozen expression on Mara's face. Had he finally got through to her?

He stepped away from her carefully and observed her reactions. The air around them was pregnant with waiting emotions. He waited, watching the bewildered expressions crossing, possibly for the first time in her life, Mara's vulnerably open face and then something powerful began buffeting his Force shields.

'_You will kill Luke Skywalker… You will kill… You…"_

"I won't," she shouted desperately, suddenly angry. "I can't."

"You can't _what?"_ Luke whispered.

"I just can't do it." Mara's initial rage died away almost as soon as it had risen, other more complex emotions taking its place. Skywalker was right. She'd never had power, not in the real sense. She'd never known what it was like to be part of a family – she'd never been given the chance. The Emperor had used her as his tool, keeping her isolated to maintain her loyalty. He had used her allegiance to him as a weapon against others. She swallowed past the large lump that had formed in her throat, ignoring the unusual prickling in her eyes. She would not cry – she never cried.

"Oh, Mara!" The compassion in Luke's soft voice was her undoing.

She gave a quiet sniff, tears leaking from the corner of her eyes. No, she would not cry. She pleaded with herself to remain in control – only fools and weaklings cried. But her defiance crumbled and, ashamed to be seen openly weeping, she turned her head away only to be engulfed in Luke's arms.

"No…Don't touch me…" Mara's frame went rigid.

"It's okay," he soothed, ignoring her initial resistance and pulling her close. This would be cathartic and something she needed to do. If she never did this again it didn't matter to him but she needed to let some of her issues go now and tears were one way of release.

And Mara, feeling the warmth and comfort embodied in Luke's embrace, did something that she swore she would murder the Jedi for immediately if he ever told anyone that she'd ever done. She pressed her head into his shoulder and cried. Over twenty lonely years of tears seeped into Luke's tunic but he didn't say another word - just held her close. She would probably kill him later for daring to put his arms around her. But for now, it felt good to have the contact with another human soul – even one that she'd once wanted to kill.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Coruscant**

Han Solo glanced at the paperwork on Leia's desk with disgust. It didn't look as if they were going to have much time together tonight - not unless he kidnapped her from her office. He knew she wouldn't complain too much if he did so. Plus the time he'd hoped they might have together would be spent making sure that Leia got some badly needed rest. Setting up a stable government was proving to be a lot more difficult and time consuming than they had originally thought. His comlink beeped, interrupting him.

"Solo!" he said briskly, hoping it was the dulcet voice of his fiancée but he was to be disappointed.

"Han!"

Another voice with the same well-bred Alderaanian inflections greeted him instead. "Winter!" he grinned. "How's it going?"

Leia's aide and closest friend sounded uncharacteristically flustered. "Look, I'm up in the…new appointment room and I found something. I think you need to see this."

For a minute Han couldn't think what Winter meant and then his mind cleared. "The new appointment room," he echoed. "Not more papers the Princess must see and sign."

"This is a matter for you, General Solo."

"Oh." Winter's use of his rank never boded well. She knew he didn't really like it. "Where is her royalness, by the way?"

"We sent her home to get some rest before tonight's meeting." Winter's voice had steadied but Han was concerned.

"Do you want me to come and look at them now? I take it I'm the secure courier?"

"If you wouldn't mind?" Winter's voice was guarded. "It's not vital to galactic security but I would prefer that the fewer people who touched this report the better."

"Give me five minutes," he said, understanding her caution, the hairs on the back of his neck standing to attention. Whatever it was, she didn't want anyone else to hear or see it. "I'm on my way."

When he arrived at the hidden storeroom, he found Lady Winter composed but with a strange expression in her grey eyes. It was as if she'd experienced a surprise and not a pleasant one. Winter was rarely surprised by anything and this was more than enough to make Han uneasy. "Winter…problem?"

"No," she said aloud. "No problems."

Han recognised the code. "Good. The princess is extremely busy with the finer points of the latest world petitioning to join the New Republic and needed her rest. I'm glad you managed to persuade her to take some time."

"It wasn't easy but I did hold the best card in the sabacc deck."

"Tonight's meeting."

"Yes. This way." Winter led Han away from where her team were still sorting through the data cards and other artefacts to the far side of the room. She ran a code chip over a drawer and took a deep breath. "I don't think Leia should see this; in fact, I don't think anyone should see this but..." She checked her wrist chrono and raised her voice, infusing it with pleasant overtones. "I think it is time for a break," she advised her team with a smile. "You've been working at this for hours. Refreshments have been provided in the small dining room on level one hundred and three."

The staff all looked at their chronos and groaned. With various muttered comments, they headed out of the room.

Han raised his hand in a careless salute, saying loudly, "What have you found so far?"

"There are the lists of Jedi; many of the names were already known to me. The Viceroy kept in contact with as many as it was safe until they were..." Her eyes tracked the last of her team leaving. "Until they were caught and killed," she finished.

Leia's adoptive father, Han thought. Winter had grown up with Leia and with her perfect memory had never forgotten anything that had been said. "And the lightsabers?"

"They belong to Jedi that the Emperor or Darth Vader personally vanquished. Much of the rest of the data cards contain codes for Imperial files we've already sliced. There are also financial details with accounts belonging to former high ranking Imperial officers in various locations. "

"Good." Han waited until the last staff member had cleared the room. "Now what is it that you don't want Leia to see?"

"To be honest, I don't want you to see it either but…"

Han stiffened. "What is it?"

"You are not going to like this."

"Probably not. Just tell me, Winter," he said gently.

Winter had a pale complexion but it seemed to grow paler. "One of the…specimens belongs to Commander Skywalker," she said.

"What!" Han exclaimed as his stomach had lurched and then dropped as the credit clicked into place. "Specimen? Hell!" He turned away and then abruptly swivelled back to face the Alderaanian. "You don't mean… Are you sure?"

"It's quite clearly labelled," Winter said.

"That bastard sith kept it?" His hands were shaking and he fought the urge to empty the contents of his stomach.

"Apparently so." Winter looked a little nauseous herself. "I would think it gave Palpatine great satisfaction to do so. A trophy of sorts."

"Get rid of it." He ground out the words between his clenched teeth. "I'll tell Leia but I don't want her to see it either."

"What happens if…?"

"I don't think Luke will want his hand back."

"No, I don't think he will. I'll deal with it personally," she promised. "It's about time I paid a special visit to the incinerator."

"Thanks." Han shuddered. "I would not want this as part of some misguided New Republic research project."

"No, I agree with you totally on that." Winter placed the jar carefully into a bag. "This must stay between us for now." She managed a smile. "I wouldn't say anything to Leia until this has been destroyed."

Han sighed. "I won't say anything but I can't keep it from her for long."

"Leia always knows when you're hiding something, doesn't she?"

Han managed a weak grin. "You've both got me taped, lady."

"I think so."

"I know so and Winter…"

"What?"

"I can easily…destroy _that_ if you don't want to? It should be me."

"No. I'll do it." Her voice was firm.

Han let out a sigh of guilty relief. "Thanks."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

14


	25. Chapter 25

**Out of the Shadows 25**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title and for Michele for taking the time to read.

**Dagobah**

Mara found it became all too easy for her to entangle herself in the nothingness of the routine Skywalker called his life. He had offered to help her with a few Force-related things while she was on Dagobah if she wanted to stay for a couple more weeks and she was never one to turn down an offer like that. It wasn't as if she was undertaking full Jedi training. Increasing her general skills would be useful and she wasn't betraying anyone by doing that.

"No pressure," he'd said, his blue eyes apparently guileless. "It's up to you. Stay as long as you want to."

"Sure, I can spare a couple more days," she'd answered casually. "But Karrde will be expecting me to return at some point in the near future. I do work for him."

He'd looked as if he was about to say something but hesitated, thinking better of it, and nodded. "A few more days," he echoed. "It's a start."

Surprisingly, Skywalker was a good teacher and she had to admit that she was learning so much, things that no-one had taught her before – lightsaber techniques, philosophy, Jedi history, telekinesis, basic healing practices and ways of maintaining and increasing her fitness. She'd already thought she was in peak condition but not according to Skywalker's Jedi standards and after he'd accompanied her on several runs through the jungle vegetation she had to agree with him. All the information was delivered from his warped Jedi perspective but still, all knowledge was useful. The few days more that she'd planned weren't nearly enough. A week passed and then another. This wasn't just one or two things. Skywalker was indeed training her to become a Jedi and Mara wasn't entirely certain how she felt about that. She knew that she was changing; she was fitter, more grounded within herself and beginning to accept that perhaps Palpatine hadn't always been right – that he had, on more than one occasion, lied to her.

Okay, she admitted finally. The subject had been gnawing away inside her brain for a lot longer than even she suspected. How could the master she'd worshipped more than her own life, who had raised her and taught her everything she knew, get something so wrong?

And if he had gotten this wrong, what other falsehoods and mistakes had he perpetrated? All leaders had to do things they found unpleasant but still… Nevertheless she stubbornly held onto the belief that Luke had killed her master even when the evidence was beginning to stack up to the contrary. He was ultimately responsible.

However, Skywalker was turning out to be the most honourable and decent man she'd ever met, if a trifle rigid in his way of thinking, and so annoyingly naïve that he could have been from a tenth rate farm on a fourth rate planet. 'Wait! Of course,' she groused irritably to herself – 'he was.' She'd never met anyone who still believed that there was so much good in people and that even the worst of them could be redeemed if you had enough faith. She knew that for a fallacy. He was turning her into someone she was not and she didn't like it. She'd only agreed to improve her skills – learn one or two new tricks. Mara Jade was quite happy the way that she was – at least, that was what she told herself. She had to leave before this Jedi corrupted her permanently.

But for the first time in her life, something felt right. She didn't know how to explain it but the certainty of the feeling was there. If Skywalker ever lied to Mara, she would know it. She believed that she knew the young man who patiently tutored her while ignoring the epithets she hurled at his sandy head on a daily basis. A sliver of dark amusement twisted across her lips. She would never have dared to curse the Emperor. Afraid was the wrong word to use, she thought, but there was a measure of fear in her devotion. If she had disobeyed Palpatine's orders, she would not have lived to tell any tales.

She'd been here long enough, she argued silently. She had to leave Dagobah for the simple reason that she couldn't stay forever or she would turn out to be as misguided and sentimental as the rest of the idealists and traitors who had formed the rebellion. She suppressed a groan and swiped wildly with her lightsaber at the sudden blast from the training remote. Even _she_ saw that as a half-baked excuse. The rebels had won the war and none of her wishes would change that fact. She had people who depended on her to do the job she was paid to do. She liked working for Karrde and she had to get back to him. He trusted her to do that. But still, something kept her with the blue-eyed young Jedi on Dagobah. She reasoned that his lessons were important because there was nothing else to stay on Dagobah for. The social scene was pathetic. She rubbed the stinging area of her anatomy where the remote had scored a direct hit. "Ow!"

The remote hovering above her made a darting move to her right and she swirled around to face it. "Oh no, you don't," she muttered and brought up the humming blue blade in front of her. The whole situation was just too damned irritating. With a grunt and a final thrust she speared the annoyance that had been taunting her for weeks. There was a bang and a flash and the remote crashed to the ground, finally dying in a sputter of angry sparks.

"Hey!"

"What?" Mara turned around at the sound of booted feet running towards her and glared at Luke, the blue lightsaber blade still buzzing in front of her.

"What did you do that for?" Luke stared in dismay at the fragments of his faithful training remote lying inertly on the ground. He'd had it long before the Battle of Hoth - in fact, before Yavin - and now it had been rendered useless. It had been Han's practice remote from the _Falcon _which Obi-Wan had borrowed for Luke's lightsaber training He'd never returned it and Han had never asked."You were supposed to parry the shots, not kill the thing. It'll never work again, by the looks of it."

Mara's lips curved into a satisfied smile that sent a jolt into the region of Luke's heart. "I've spent enough time playing around with this remote." She closed down her weapon but kept the reassuring feel of the hilt in her hand. It no longer felt alien to her anymore – it belonged to her.

"Oh! Maybe you have but…" Luke picked up a small fragment, shaking his head slowly.

"Why are you so upset?" she asked curiously. "It was only a training remote."

"It was _my_ only remote and I've had it for a long time," he muttered. "You get…attached to things."

"It's a _remote_. How can you get attached to that?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This man had brought down the first Death Star, had defeated many in battle, was reputed to be one of the greatest pilots in the galaxy and was supposed to be cruel and uncaring. Yet he missed his sister and his friends desperately, spoke to his droid as if he was a treasured friend and was attached to his training remote. Luke Skywalker still didn't add up in Mara's opinion.

"How do you think I practise?" Luke said, a little lamely.

"With _that_ remote?" Her mouth flattened at the corners.

"Yes. With _that_ remote. I've had it since I began my training…originally belonged to Han." He nudged another piece with the toe of one black-booted foot. "So you think you are finally ready to fight others…ready to kill?" He lifted his head to look at her, his gaze searching.

Mara's smile disappeared. "Killing is the easy part," she whispered. "I've done it before – many times."

"No, I disagree. It's not easy at all – I have never found it to be so and I don't believe you can find it so either. Maybe the killing part seems easy when it's just a faceless, nameless enemy," he conceded reluctantly. "You raise your blaster and pull the trigger and wham…someone doesn't breathe any more. But the telling yourself that it doesn't mean anything and that particular life deserved to be snuffed out, is the really hard part because you lose part of yourself to the inhumanity of killing. You have destroyed a life – someone with a history, a family but now – no future. It's not a game."

"I never thought it was a game, Skywalker." Mara held his gaze. "It is what I was trained to be."

"No, you can be more," he said earnestly. "I don't want that inhumanity to happen to you, Mara Jade. You've lost so much already."

"No… I haven't lost anything," she denied automatically. "What I did, I did in service to my master. These people were traitors and deserved what happened to them."

"Did they really?" Luke's eyes were sad but wise and kind. "Every single one of them?" Mara looked away unable to answer him. "I know you better than that, Mara Jade. You didn't always follow orders did you? Don't fool yourself that I believe you didn't care what you were doing," he said. "

"I'm not." She lifted her chin and stared directly into his eyes. She could lose herself in their blue depths – they seemed so old for someone so young. "Sometimes I didn't obey him as I should. There were occasions when I did find it hard to do what he asked of me. I even let some of them go." She sighed. "I couldn't…"

"Was that when he punished you?"

"'_Punished!' _How did you…?" Mara's head dropped, almost appearing too heavy on her slim shoulders, revealing the vulnerability of her slender neck.

"I know _you_," Luke said. "You are not evil." Indeed she was not. Whatever Mara Jade had done in the Emperor's name had left her untouched by the dark side, though the anger she nursed internally drew her dangerously towards it.

"I deserved my punishments. He didn't always find out what I had done."

"Because you hid it deep within yourself," Luke guessed softly. "Those lives didn't matter to him; otherwise, he would have searched your mind and he would have discovered your lies. You knew some of it was wrong and those were the people you spared but you felt guilty, didn't you." It wasn't a question.

Mara lifted her head, her eyes bright and defiant. "I _hated_ betraying him but I couldn't let those people suffer when there was no need. As for any others, I enjoyed it."

"Did you really? I don't believe you. It was a task you performed as emotionlessly as you could. It was the only way you could have survived." Luke felt the duality of her anger and her remorse and sent a calming Force wave towards her. "You have to move on; the past is holding you back."

"I'm gaining quite a lot," she admitted, suddenly changing the subject and accepting the feelings he had sent to her. "I didn't expect to. I didn't think that there was anything you could teach me."

Luke's mouth quirked into a genuine smile that Mara found affected her breathing. He looked…pleasant when he smiled. "The only way we should stop learning is at the same time we stop breathing. I'll take that as a compliment." The subject of Mara's past was dropped for the moment.

Mara's eyebrow arched. "Isn't that a little presumptive, Skywalker?"

"I'll take anything I can get."

"Wise of you but when I kill you, remember that you will have actually contributed to your own demise."

"I understand," he said gravely. "You will make it as quick and painless as possible?" He didn't believe that she would kill him – he never had.

"Didn't you say that it would be good to have a live opponent?"

"I believe that I did." He walked around her, his hand going to the lightsaber attached to his belt. "But only as long as we both stay alive. An opponent is no longer an opponent if he is dead."

"Spoilsport." She winked at him, her green eyes sparkling with mischief, her lips curving into a genuine smile.

Luke's breath caught in his throat. She looked so beautiful and so vibrantly alive at that moment, her bright hair caught loosely in a braid, her slim figure attired in a body hugging suit. She was perfect.

"What is it?" Her smile slipped a little. Mara didn't realise it but she was becoming as attuned to Luke's emotions as he was to hers and had felt his reaction even if she didn't understand what had caused it.

"Nothing," he said simply. At that moment he was happy.

She frowned at him and all he wanted was to see the smile return. "Honestly," he said and was rewarded once more with a smile. Luke detached his lightsaber from his waist and held it before him. With a nod of his head, he indicated readiness for their bout and ignited his green blade. For a moment they stood carefully testing each other until, with a fierce battle cry, Mara attacked.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Luke waited, his saber humming lightly in his hands, the Force running through him. "Do you yield?" he asked calmly, barely breathing any harder than when they had first begun their sparring match.

"Yes," she said, her shoulders heaving with effort. He hadn't set out to humiliate her in any way but she knew he'd just taken her defence and tactics apart with ease. She was practically on her knees with the effort and he was standing above her looking as if he'd just taken a gentle stroll through the ornamental gardens at the Skydome Botanical. Her competitive nature stirred, she had to learn these techniques.

"Well done," he praised as he closed down his weapon and affixed it to its customary place on his belt.

Mara glanced about her. "Where's my saber?"

Luke held out his hand and the weapon flew into it. "Here," he said, holding out his other hand to help her to her feet, watching with concern as she straightened her cramped limbs. "You're not hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"Your saber is an extension of you. If you are parted from it in a battle or through accident," Luke's mind flashed to the wampa's cave on Hoth, "you can call it to your hand. Just reach out with your feelings and focus on holding the saber in your hand. It's almost the same as levitation exercises."

"Lifting rocks." Mara grimaced as she rolled her shoulders. "I can't believe how much I ache."

"You fought well."

"Not well enough. I couldn't beat you," she said with a rueful smile.

"I've been working almost solely with my lightsaber for quite a few years now – it has become part of me and an extension of my will. You have become adept in a very short space of time and are improving rapidly. Very soon you will feel the strength of your own connection. You don't have to 'beat' me as you put it. This is not a competition unless it is in your own mind."

"Let's say I thrive on a challenge," Mara retorted. "Don't go all Jedi and other-worldly on me, Skywalker."

"I am a Jedi and I always will be. I'm not your enemy and would not like to fight against you in anger."

"I think I know that little homily. You've said it often enough to become boring. Anger and hate all lead to the dark side of the Force." She brushed a clinging piece of stray vegetation from her well-toned and shapely derriere.

Unnoticed, Luke's hands curled as his eyes unwillingly followed the movement and, suddenly catching what he was doing, he rushed into speech. "Make no mistake, Mara. I can be beaten and have been beaten. I did not win against Vader, nor against the Emperor. Both of them could have killed me if they chose and Palpatine fully intended to do that. He did not need a lightsaber to do so." He shivered as he recalled the sheets of blue lightning erupting from Palpatine's fingers. "I am not infallible and would be very foolish of me to think that." He rotated his right wrist slowly, remembering. "One lapse in concentration, a break in my guard and the balance of a battle shifts as easily as a Vor's wing on the wind." He shrugged. "One with the Force I am."

"Now you sound like Yoda," Mara said. She didn't want to think about Luke not being in her life any longer. It already seemed as if he'd always been there. No, she could threaten and bluster about killing him but she wouldn't do it – not when she needed him to train her in the ways of the Force. "Was there…?"

She didn't need to finish her question. Luke knew that she desired to improve and was asking for his opinion – his help. It was another step forward. He stepped closer to her and placed his hand on her arm drawing it back and pushing it through in a swift sweeping motion. "The angle wasn't quite correct," he instructed quietly. "Feel the direction of the stroke and follow it through."

Mara closed her eyes and tried to do what he suggested. "Yes…I can feel the difference."

She tried it again, Luke's hand still on her arm, correcting and directing the way she moved. She could feel the difference but her mind wasn't concentrating fully on what she should have been. He was very close. She could feel the soft puff of his breath against her cheek, the heat of his almost touching body. But she already knew how that felt against her own and gave a soft shudder of unwilling desire. She had to get away from this situation before she did something she would regret. She had changed her mind about killing him but this new closeness was another thing altogether. This was definitely a step she was not ready to take. Pivoting on her heel she turned to face him and was immediately caught in the snare of his mesmerising blue gaze.

"Uh…" she managed to articulate feebly. This was not a good idea. 'Think,' she frantically castigated herself as her usually reliable brain refused to function. The distance between them was far too close – too intimate, the touch of his hand lingering on her elbow burned all the way through her clothes to her skin. Mara's hand rose automatically, balancing herself, resting on his shoulder.

"Mara?"

Their eyes locked and held. "Luke…" She uttered his given name for the very first time. Time caught and held as the layers in the Force shifted and buckled, changing forever, pushing them towards a destiny from which they could not escape. Her lips were suddenly dry. Tentatively her tongue escaped from her lips, moistening them. Luke's eyes darkened as he tracked the betraying movement. They were young, attractive and nature recognised their signals even as they would have denied them. Their heads moved together, their fingers tightened on one another and…

Luke could see it. He could see them wrapped together in the age old ritual of desire, skin against skin. But the future was always in motion. What wouldn't he give for this to be one of them?

Mara held her own vision in her mind's eye. The rumpled bedclothes, their naked bodies pressed together and Luke's fevered gaze as he rose above her ready to…

A bird shrieked in the trees above their heads and they jerked guiltily apart, faces flushed with the knowledge of what might have happened.

"I must…"

"I need to…" They spoke at the same time.

Luke took a deep breath trying to separate reality from the vision in his mind. "Force, that should…"

"Never have…"

"Happened?" Luke finished, wryly noting the mixture of horror and naked desire on Mara's face. "As I recall, nothing did."

"But we…it might have. We nearly…" She closed her mouth tightly over the words. The brief sexually charged image had been in her imagination. "You're right. Nothing happened."

Luke swallowed and began to back away, wondering what madness had possessed them to even think about kissing the other because that was what had almost happened. The disturbing thing was that the searing image had burned itself into his brain forever. It wasn't the right time – if it ever would be judging from the expression on Mara's face.

He was shy with women. The fame he'd won in battle had made many females of different species interested in him but Luke hadn't felt comfortable in handling the fame as many of his comrades had. Those women had wanted the hero, not the man. Inside he wasn't just Luke Skywalker, Jedi; he was still Luke, the farmboy from the planet Tatooine who wanted someone to love him – the real him.

Mara seemed to accept him for what he was most of the time and made no effort to conceal what she really thought about him. Perhaps that was one of her more appealing aspects but she had been brought up in the Imperial palace and was used to more sophisticated men and he suddenly felt a bit 'ordinary' in her presence.

'Stang!' he thought. He'd actually considered kissing her. "I'm just going to check on my X-wing," he gabbled nervously. "There are things growing in one of the engine filters. It's not healthy." He rubbed his hand across his forehead. Had he really said what he thought he had? He'd flown in battle countless times, met beings from many worlds, faced Vader and the Emperor together and yet, he could find himself completely tongue-tied in front of this particular woman. He admitted to himself that she affected him in ways that no one else had.

"Your ship?"

"Yes, I need to send a message to…to Leia."

"You can do that from here?" Mara hoped in vain that her voice sounded normal because she didn't feel that way and would die of embarrassment if the Jedi noticed. "I could have contacted Karrde?"

"No, not from here."

"A message to Leia, huh! A bit sudden after three years." Mara's voice was caustic though she was glad to have something to take her mind off the images still disturbing her.

So, thought Luke, she had heard him recording a message to his sister and wondered if he had mentioned her arrival. "Leia knows I'm still alive. She would feel it through the Force if I was not no matter how far apart we are." His words were stilted. "I recorded the message not long after you arrived here. I just haven't had a chance to send it."

Mara began to recover her equilibrium as Luke appeared to lose his. He was embarrassed, she thought. And she remembered her idea of keeping him off-balance. It was time to even the score. He may win at lightsaber techniques but she could still best him and planned to continue doing so any way she could. Using her femininity was one way. The only problem was that this method had turned on her in an astonishing fashion and she wasn't sure if she liked the effect. Or perhaps she liked the effect far too much.

Killing him had conveniently gone from her mind.

"I have to send a message from above Dagobah's atmosphere," he said hurriedly. "The planet's atmosphere doesn't allow it, for one thing, and we are too far out on the rim for another. I must go nearer to one of the main planets and find a suitable signal to relay my own from." He continued to stare at her and then dropped his eyes, flushing, to examine his scuffed footwear. "I'll be back in a couple of hours…"

"Hours!" she echoed, taking a step closer to him.

Their eyes met and Luke stretched out a hand towards her cheek. "You know that you are very lovely, Mara Jade." There was a pregnant pause as Luke realised what he had said.

"But I've done such things," she whispered.

His hand fell to his side and he took a step away from her. She was still unpredictable in many ways and so was he. He couldn't even control what came out of his own mouth. Many women wanted to be viewed as much more than their outward appearances and Mara was definitely one of those. Luke could understand that but she was hurting and confused and he had to help her become whole. "I'm sorry," he apologised. "I shouldn't have said that but it's true. Inside as well as on the outside. You'll have to learn to believe it eventually. I have never seen anyone so beautiful."

"What!" Mara's mind whirled as she watched Luke Skywalker, hero of the rebellion, sprint away towards his ship. "Wait!" Moments later it rose into the air. "He never checked it for…" Hands on her hips, Mara watched as the X-wing disappeared from sight. "Well, I suppose he is coming back. All his stuff is still here." Her lips curved. "He said I was lovely. Oh!" What was she supposed to make of that? Many men had said that she was beautiful but none had done it quite like the young Jedi. So the Jedi was not a monk after all. He had noticed that she was a woman.

From behind her came a frantic and faintly plaintive electronic warble. "He's gone flying, droid," she snapped, reassured by Luke's haste and Artoo's continuing presence on the planet's surface. Skywalker would not leave Dagobah without his droid.

Artoo rotated his little domed head and whistled another question.

"I don't know when he'll be back but he's certainly stupid enough to return for a droid that talks so much," she gritted irritably. "Now, quit your pathetic whining and go and make yourself useful. I'm going for a run. I need to start thinking about getting off this rock, too. I've been here for far too long."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Coruscant**

Han Solo checked his wrist chrono and wrinkled his forehead. It was late and he was about to put his foot down but, hopefully, not so firmly that it would make Leia object. "Your messages are piling up, Highnessness," he commented quietly.

"I know and these are the ones my staff have allowed me to deal with myself. They've intercepted the non-essential communications." She sighed and rubbed a hand wearily across her forehead. "Ignore them; I'll deal with them tomorrow. I've done enough for tonight."

"You should be taking things a little easier, sweetheart."

"All of the Inner Council is working at the same pace until we get the next world into the Republic. The surplus it grows could feed several worlds where the agriculture has been ruined by war. I know Mon Mothma is exhausted because I'm tired and she bears the heaviest load of us all."

"I know but you can't go on like this. None of you can. Mon Mothma included."

"It should get easier after this next treaty is completed. The number of candidates accepted into diplomatic training courses has been drastically increased." She eased away from the desk and stiffly stood up, feeling her bones protesting from sitting too long in one position. Han was instantly behind her, his hands massaging her shoulders.

"Better?"

"Much." She relaxed gratefully into his touch. "I can't believe he kept it."

"Kept what…oh!" His hands stilled for a moment and then resumed their gentle massage.

"Luke's hand." Leia's words emerged in a whisper.

"Yeah, at first I couldn't believe it either. It sounds like the kind of sick thing 'old yellow eyes' would do."

"I'm glad I didn't have to deal with it."

"You shouldn't have to. Winter didn't want any of us to do so and she was right." He stepped away from her and retrieved her cloak, placing it about her. "Come on. If you're sure you're finished?" Leia nodded. "Then let's go home." Han began to steer her towards the door.

The com centre interrupted them with a defiant beep indicating the arrival of another message. "Ignore it," Han said. "It will keep until tomorrow."

"Yes, it will." Then Leia stopped, a strange expression crossing her face. "Han, I want to read that message."

"Save it for tomorrow, sweetheart. It will keep."

"No," she said. "It feels important."

"_Feels_ important?" Han's mouth dropped open. "Uh-oh!"

Leia closed her eyes, took a deep breath and then opened them again. Her face was determined…resolute. "Yes, Han. I can feel it." She moved back to her desk and tried to pull up the message with Han next to her, peering at the screen. "This is only an announcement alert - the message is being held up by some relay station a long way off and is waiting for verification of a stronger signal at this end. The signal from that end is very faint, almost indistinct."

"It's based on some very old technology - almost like someone hotwired a short range transmitter to get more power - and it's come a long way," Han murmured, hope lifting his voice. "I'll see if I can borrow one of Cracken's listening posts for a few moments and get a good lock on the signal which may help us get a better reception." He began fiddling with the controls. "I think we have it…yes. Got it." He gave a sigh of relief. "It's coming through now."

"It's a holo-recording." Leia glanced at Han and saw her own feelings mirrored in his gaze. There was hope and a little fear.

"Luke?"

"Could be." Leia's hand shook as she flicked the switch, her breathing ragged. The hologram was faint, the image being of low resolution and in black and white, but it was unmistakeably her brother. Leia drank in the sight of him, her eyes suspiciously bright. Han, too, placed his hand across his eyes and bowed his head in some sort of prayer.

"Hello, Leia...Han." Luke stood waiting, his hands joined together in front of him, dressed in what appeared to be the same black tunic and cloak that he'd left in. Han stifled some sort of oath and paused the image.

Leia pressed her trembling fingers to her lips and allowed Han to sweep her into his arms. "Force, I've missed him so much."

"I know. It's good to finally know that he's alive." Han's voice was cracked and rough, as if he hadn't used it in a long time. Seeing the Kid brought it right home to him how incomplete their little family was without its true heart.

"I always knew that he was alive, Han. I just needed to know that he was safe and well and would come back to us and now I do."

"Let's listen to what he has to say first before we totally get our hopes up. I'll see if I can wash the signal to get rid of some of the static."

"He's coming home, Han, and that's all that matters," Leia stated fervently. "Maybe not tomorrow or next week but I'm convinced we shall see him soon."

She reached out and restarted the image.

"Hello, Leia and Han," he said simply. "I'm coming home." There was a minute pause as if Luke was working out what exactly to say to them after all this time.

"Master Yoda became one with the Force very recently." Sorrow briefly showed in his expressive face. "Before he died, he conferred on me the rank of a fully trained Jedi Knight and teacher. I could not leave him before then for more than a couple of days at a time. He was very weak towards the end and could not have been moved. If I'm truthful, I would say that he didn't want to be moved and intended to breathe his last on this strange world which sheltered him from the darkness of Palpatine's regime. I'm preparing to leave this hiding place for good. I have learned all that I can here. I need to return to restart the Jedi Order. It is the task I have been given and one I will spend the rest of my life doing."

Leia noted that he hadn't mentioned the word 'trying'. Jedi _did_.

"It won't be easy," he said gravely. "I will need your full support and that of the New Republic but I will not simply become a tame Jedi for them. That has to be made clear to everyone from the very start. There are still dangers for us all; the dark side threatens even now, though the Emperor is dead."

Luke turned his head as if he was watching for someone. "It's been hard to be apart from you without contact but it is coming to an end now. I knew this as soon as you sent Mistress Jade. The Force allowed her to find me."

"Sent Mistress Jade?" Han echoed, pausing the message. "Oh, so Mara got to Dagobah safely, did she?"

"She must have," murmured Leia. "And however long ago this message was recorded and sent…it has come a long way, she must still be there."

"The Force allowed…" Han shook his head and snorted. "That was careful research."

"We've had access to the same areas of research and found nothing."

"We didn't know where to look for them. Mara did."

"Maybe, but it could still be the Force."

"Mistress Jade? He's very formal," Han said, with a glint in his eye. "The Mara we know and er…love can be somewhat abrasive."

"Luke's probably met that side of her; hence the formality."

"Yes, she wasn't one of his greatest fans before she left as I recall. But he's still alive, so she hasn't made good her threat to kill him."

"She promised not to kill him," Leia replied quickly. "And I believe her."

"So do I now, oddly enough," Han quipped with a smirk and restarted the message.

"Could you please inform Talon Karrde of her safety," Luke said carefully, taking another cautious glance behind him. "I'm sure he would wish to know."

"Karrde's away somewhere remote," Leia said. "But…"

Han sighed as he paused the message again. "He left details of how to contact him if necessary. He has several bases dotted about the galaxy. " Han noted that the flickering Luke on the screen was glancing over his shoulder. "Does the Kid look nervous to you?"

"I don't know but he keeps looking behind him." She studied the image. "I don't get the sense that he's concerned about anything."

"Maybe if Jade is there, he's worried that she'll sneak up behind him."

"You can't sneak up on Luke – he's a Jedi."

"Sure you can. Or maybe he's just looking at her – she is rather striking. He's been alone there for over three years with only Yoda for company. Having a gorgeous woman to stare at…"

"Luke's not like that," Leia protested.

"He likes women, sweetheart. He never was one for the boys and, believe me, some of them asked."

"Han!" Leia's eyes widened.

"Just telling it like it is. He's human. Not a monk."

"I never said he was," Leia murmured defensively. "I'd like to see him happy with a suitable woman and a family."

"Ah, you don't think the spectacular Mistress Jade is suitable." Han grinned wickedly. "They could just have an affair then. He's had the occasional quiet one before."

Leia looked pained. "Han Solo! My brother is a Jedi Knight and much as I like Mara, she wanted to kill him."

"Which you don't believe she'll do."

"No. But it's hardly the basis for a lasting relationship, is it?"

Han looked his fiancée shrewdly. "You wouldn't be jealous, would you?"

"What!"

"Jealous that Jade has been with him and spent time with him before you have? Jealous that she was able to go to Dagobah to bring him home?"

"No! Of course not."

But Han thought that her words lacked conviction. Whatever Leia's view of Luke was, he hadn't spent all of his time in the rebellion flying his X-wing. If she persisted in seeing him as a mystical monk-like figure who would calmly accept everything the New Republic suggested that he do, then she had another think coming. "Shall we hear the rest of this?" he said as he restarted the message yet again.

Luke faced the holo-imager again and smiled. He looked exactly the same - perhaps thinner - but there was an air of calm about him that Leia hadn't seen before. "If you could arrange for quarters to be opened on Coruscant for me, I will need somewhere to stay when I arrive. Oh, and please, don't announce it to the holo-press or the Senate committee quite yet. I'd rather keep my return quiet for a little while longer. I'll contact you again soon. May the Force be with you." He raised a hand in farewell and then he was gone.

Leia transferred the holo to a portable carrier she had and Han suspected it would be played numerous times over the next few days.

"I told you he'd be fine, sweetheart," Han said, grinning widely.

"Pardon me if I'm mistaken, flyboy, but you were the one who wanted to go looking for him convinced he was in some sort of trouble and even hired Karrde to find him for you."

"I was only doing it for you."

"Of course." Leia rolled her eyes.

"I was because that's the sensitive kind of guy I am."

"And that's why I love you, nerfherder." Leia reached up and ruffled his hair.

"Hey!" Han jerked his head away and valiantly tried to smooth it back into place.

"Come on." Leia stood up and opened the door, waiting patiently for Han to pass through before activating the security control. "He looked well, didn't he?"

"Yes. A bit thinner, but well."

"He seemed happier too."

"Maybe Mara Jade's given him a reason to smile." He winked.

"Han Solo!"

"Seriously, Leia, he got what he wanted. He managed to finish his training. Now he can come home where he belongs."

"Yes, it will be wonderful to have him with us again but I wish it was that easy." She sighed. "He will need to find somewhere to teach his Jedi and I don't think Coruscant will suit him. Especially as his own training was on Dagobah and it's not known for its cities and technology."

"I know. But at least we'll know where he is once he finds somewhere to settle and be able to visit him on occasions. It'll be fun, sweetheart. Coruscant is too close to the Senate and the politicians. There are far too many distractions and possible interferences. He won't want that." Han smirked at his fiancée. "He left so that he could do his Jedi thing his own way."

"He might want to have an office on Coruscant. The Jedi temple was located here after all."

"Yes, but look what happened to it." Han pressed the call button for the turbo lift. "After you."

They entered the lift and stood in silence until they reached the level which contained the private vehicle hangar for important members of the inner council.

"Let's get you home," Han said, helping her into the closed speeder he'd been using since he'd arrived on Coruscant. It was less noticeable than the _Millennium Falcon _and it was giving him the chance to give the _Falcon_ the overhaul it needed

"Yes, let's go home. I want to sleep for at least two days but that is not going to happen. Tomorrow I can see if there's anywhere in the Imperial palace for him to stay. It has to be close to us."

Han screwed up his face and shook his head. "I would wait a bit. I think you're moving a little fast with this. Until he walks through the door of our apartment we won't know exactly what he is planning to do."

"I want to help him and he asked me to find him somewhere to stay."

"I know you do and you'll find him an apartment but wait until he tells you exactly what he wants you to do."

"We know what he wants," she said.

"We do?" Han eased into the busy stream of traffic for the short journey to their apartment.

"We do," she stated firmly. "After he comes home and finds somewhere to stay, he wants to restart the Jedi Order."

Han's lip twitched into a smile. "And to do that, he's going to need Jedi."

"Yes. He is."

"Lots of them." Han swooped into a low, overhanging door and gradually coasted to a stop. "One of the reasons I love this apartment is..."

"You can park the speeder easily?" Leia smiled slyly.

"Nope, but that is a good reason. I _can_ park the speeder easily. More importantly, I can get the _Falcon _in the private hangar too and kiss you without anyone seeing."

Their home was cool and quiet and Leia finally relaxed but Han could see she wanted to view Luke's holo message again.

"Didn't Lando send you information about some guy on Bespin?" Han asked, making for the bottle of Whyren's reserve on the sideboard.

"Yes, he did – a gas prospector on Tibannopolis. He's in the Cloud City medical centre. He hears voices in the wind."

Han groaned. "So he's schizophrenic."

"No, he's not…well, I suppose he could be." Leia gave a rueful shrug. "Lando said that this man. Steen or Streen, I think his name is, can predict where the tibanna gas can be found on Bespin without instruments or devices and is always right. He gets the strikes before any of the corporations and their technical equipment. It proved to be his downfall."

"Ah," Han's voice was dry. "Someone decided to get rid of the competition."

"Yes. He almost died. Lando said that they have to keep him sedated otherwise he gets no peace. The medical droid on Cloud City does not advocate the use of drugs on this patient as a successful long term treatment. I think they were going to put him into stasis."

"Ouch. Reminds me of carbonite."

"He's lived most of his life alone, finds it difficult to be around other people. Lando thinks that Luke is the only one who can help him. Without seeing this man I cannot be sure but Lando's probably right."

"You thought that one of the Mon Calamari ambassadors might have some Jedi potential, didn't you?" Han handed Leia a glass of amber coloured spirit.

"Cilghal?"

"I couldn't remember her name. Admiral Ackbar was impressed with her political abilities."

"She's a highly intelligent being – most astute. When we went on a tour of a field hospital, she actually told me that she almost became a doctor rather than a diplomat because she could tell when a severely ill being would live or die and wanted to know how she could help. She couldn't explain it, she just knew. I remember my father talking about healers and he said that they were the rarest of the Jedi."

Han chuckled. "Believe me, sweetheart, as I've never known anyone with such an affinity for landing himself in a bacta tank, I would suspect that Luke will need a healer amongst his Jedi as well as someone who hears voices on the wind."

Leia's eyes glimmered with the happy sheen of tears. Her brother was coming home. "He will, won't he?"

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Dagobah**

The X-wing touched down with a slightly heavier whumph than usual and an exhausted Luke exited the snub fighter to find a frosty-faced reception committee.

"You said 'a couple of hours', Skywalker," Mara Jade snapped. "It's been more than half a day's rotation by the droid's last calculation. He was beginning to worry about you."

He pulled off his gloves and helmet and glanced towards his little droid, jiggling from side to side with impatience and concern. "I'm alright, Artoo." Artoo responded by subjecting his master to a scolding as only he could, using the full extent of his electronic range.

"I'm sorry little fella," Luke muttered.

"You apologise to the droid and not to me?" Mara said incredulously.

"He was concerned about me. You, I'm not so sure of. I thought you wouldn't mind if I became one with the Force." He strode towards his home, in no mood to bandy words around with her.

Mara followed him. "Of course I was worried."

"You were?" Surprise coloured his voice as he stopped and turned to face her.

Mara scowled and ducked her head, surprised that she had admitted to missing him and mad that she had acknowledged it. "You'd been gone a long time. The droid was getting screechy. It was irritating."

Luke's face lost all expression. "I had to go further than I thought to find a decent relay station to send my message to Leia. Then the X-wing started to play up." He began to move again but Mara blocked his path.

"Your ship?" For the first time since they had met Mara's face showed real concern as she sensed his weariness. "Skywalker…" She could see that his face was grey with strain and tiredness underneath sooty streaks of grime. "Can you fix it? I heard that you were good with technical things."

He coloured briefly at the compliment and then shook his head. "It won't fly again without a serious overhaul and it's not going to get that here. I can only fix so much. So it's never going to fly again." He looked upset before blanking his expression once again.

"No, I guess not." She walked towards him and put a hand cautiously on his shoulder. "What happened?"

"Not sure. The engine seemed to miss several beats, there was some sort of circuitry failure and finally some smoke."

"Smoke!" Mara's eyes widened. "How did you land the thing?"

"The Force," he said quietly. "But it took a lot out of me. It's not good to draw on my power like that." His knees began to buckle. "I need to go and lie down for a bit. "

Mara felt Luke's legs wobble and moved to help support him without thinking. She could feel his weariness engulf her as the body contact grew and she unconsciously sent her strength to help him. "Careful, Farmboy," she chided. It didn't seem right to tersely bark out his surname as she usually did. He wasn't the all powerful Jedi at this moment, just a tired young man that she could help. "Lean on me."

"I'm fine," he whispered. "But you're going to have to give me a lift out of here since I'm without transport."

"I'm sure that can be arranged for a small fee," she said dryly "Now, you said you were going to lie down. I suggest you do that before you collapse and end up in the mud. I wouldn't recommend it."

"No." Luke drew himself up and with Mara's help walked to his cot. "I'll put myself into a healing trance," he said. "Watch and let me show you how it is done."

Mata rolled her eyes. "Ever the instructor, Skywalker." But she did as he requested. He subsided onto the bed, closed his eyes and then she felt him vanish – no, not vanish exactly. His presence had muted, switched onto what a droid might term 'standby mode'.

For a moment she watched him sleep, his eyelashes resting gently against his smooth cheeks. Her lips twisted and she shook her head. Her life would never be the same again now that she was beginning to know him. She lifted her hands and smoothed the hair on his forehead. It just felt like the natural thing to do and then, leaving him to his rest, she walked away towards the X-wing. Climbing up the ladder she peered into the cockpit and gasped. The whole instrument panel was twisted and buckled with the heat of the systems malfunction. There should have been no way that Skywalker should have been able to land the ship – no way at all. He could have died and how would she have felt about that? Mara didn't know but she thought that she might have been sorry. No, she would have been… devastated.

A glance into the engine told a similar story. This X-wing was history. "So I'm going to have a couple of passengers, am I, Artoo?" she asked the droid.

Artoo beeped an agreement. She wasn't so bad, really, once you overlooked her tendency to threaten.

19


	26. Chapter 26

**Out of the Shadows 26**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title and for Michele for taking the time to read.

**The _Lore Seeker _– somewhere in hyperspace**

Tionne lay curled up on the bunk in her cabin reading up on her research notes when a gentle tap on the door made her look up in surprise. "Come in, Kam," she called.

"I thought you might want something to eat?" the solemn-faced Jedi said quietly. "You've been working for several hours."

Tionne checked her chrono and blinked with astonishment. "Goodness, I didn't realise how late it was. I just get so caught up in what I'm reading and forget the time. I'm sorry."

"You've nothing to apologise for," Kam said, smiling, and she stared at him, arrested.

"You should do that more often," she said bluntly.

"What?"

"Smile."

His face sobered. "Lately I've not had much to smile about, Tionne, but perhaps I will have from now on."

"Perhaps." A delicate flush covered her cheeks at the way he was looking at her. Was he…flirting? Surely the Jedi eschewed such things. No – Kam had spoken of his parents. Mentioning both his mother and his father in a manner that suggested that they'd lived together. Tionne hesitated to enquire further. Kam would tell her if and when he wanted her to know.

"Come on, I've made us something to eat."

"You didn't have to."

He shrugged. "How else am I to earn my passage?"

Tionne uncurled her legs from underneath her and stood up, brushing non-existent wrinkles from her dark blue tunic. "You could tell me more about your life as a Jedi…the good parts," she hastily said.

"Life as a Jedi is a whole, Tionne – the good and the bad. I couldn't take the bad before and buckled under the weight of the darkness."

"But you're better now…aren't you?"

Kam's mouth firmed. The question had been naïve…almost childlike. "I don't know about that. I doubt that I will ever be free from the taint of the dark side."

Tionne marched up to him and glared up into his face. "I don't want to hear you say that."

"Even if it's true?" he asked wearily. "The dark side will dominate my destiny forever."

"If you let it," she retorted. "That is the past. You have to move beyond it if you are to rebuild your life. Use your past as a stepping stone to your future. If you do not then the dark side has won and you have wasted your second chance."

"Yes, Ma'am." He was surprised at her fervour. He had seen her passion for information, for finding out about the history of the Jedi and her desire to help in any way that she could. But now that she had turned her pale fire upon him…it was almost humbling. He hadn't thought that she had that kind of strength. Her strength of conviction would keep anyone on the proper course…even him. Kam found that he wanted to stay with her so that her faith and almost naïve optimism would remain to aid him in his self-appointed task. "Food is ready," he said, unsure what else to say.

"Kam…" She followed him through to the tiny galley, wanting to apologise yet certain that she was right.

"Later," he said firmly and pressed a plate into her hands. "Sit. You must eat, Jedi Scholar."

"If that title could only be true," Tionne said wistfully, moving through to the small table and seating herself there. "I would love to spend the rest of my days studying the Jedi and their history."

"I think that has to be your path…already is your path. So much has been lost and can never be recovered. You could be of much help to us." Kam lowered himself onto the stool opposite, his heart heavy at the thought of all that had been destroyed and the lives cruelly shattered.

"What about your path?" Tionne asked. Something made her continue to push the man at her side. This self-pity was doing no one any good. "Have you made any decisions about what you want to do?"

"My path, which once seemed clear, became rocky, strewn with many boulders and thorns that ripped my all-too tender flesh apart, leaving me sore and bleeding. My healing process has been a difficult one."

"But you _are _healing," Tionne said firmly.

"I have to help the Jedi but I do not know how I can. That is why I've been making my way to places I visited as a child with my father. I suspect I'm looking for some sort of sign to point my way. The Force guides your actions after all and it is in the Force that I am placing my trust."

"If you listen hard enough it will tell you what to do."

"Yes and no. The Force will tell you but you must listen the proper way. Try too hard and you will hear things you think you want to hear, not what is there to be heard. You must have faith that the correct answer will come to you. I need to regain my faith in goodness, Tionne - my faith in the Force itself."

"I think you already have but you are afraid of your own judgement. That is the legacy that the dark side has left you with. You are afraid to take that last, vital step - faith in your own self."

Kam finished his meal and laid down his cutlery, wondering which one of them actually was the Jedi. "How did you become so wise, Tionne - so certain of your road ahead? My father would have liked you."

"I don't think that I'm wise," she said automatically, touched at the compliment. Somehow she knew that Kam Solusar was still governed by the words of his long-dead Jedi father despite his slip to the dark side. He had a high standard to measure himself against. She hoped it wasn't too high. "But I consider my actions very carefully. They could have a bearing upon something or someone else."

"Now you sound like a member of the cosmic balance." Kam tilted his head to one side. "An ascetic religion from the planet Bakura who were not in favour of the Jedi."

"I've heard of them and their beliefs but I don't believe that if someone is endowed with great power it robs another. It sounds like an excuse to me. Everyone has their own destiny to face."

"Now you are sounding like a Jedi Knight," Kam approved. "You believe that Skywalker will return?"

"Yes. He has to."

"If it is the Force's will."

"I think it is."

Kam considered the elfin woman seated opposite him and reached out cautiously with the Force. He could feel her presence shining warmly. No, she wasn't imbued particularly strongly with the Force but the ability was there ready to be nurtured. "I agree with you about Skywalker," he murmured, disconcerted to find that he really did. "I also think that he is still alive and that he will soon return." The layers in the Force had buckled, shifting their alignment. Kam had never been good at predicting the future but he could recognise the signals for change.

Tionne left the small table and returned carrying a piece of flimsy. "I came across this report yesterday," she said, holding it out to him.

Kam took it and read it in silence and then lifted his head to look at Tionne in amazement. "Leia Organa is searching for any information on the Jedi?"

"Interesting, is it not? Leia Organa was very close to Luke Skywalker during the rebellion and up until his subsequent disappearance."

"I had heard that," Kam said slowly.

"It's quite possible that she could have received word from the Jedi and is preparing for his return. She may even know where he has been for the past few years."

"Leia Organa is high up in the New Republic Inner council – ideally placed for gathering information. If anyone knows what happened to him, she would."

"They are based on Coruscant." Tionne's eyes sparkled.

"We were heading in that direction…were we not?" Kam arched an eyebrow, finding that her enthusiasm was catching.

"We were and still are but I will soon need to stop to refuel and pick up supplies. This is an old ship and cannot travel fast."

Kam pulled up the Navicomp and checked their route. "We could be in Commenor in another day. It's one of the closest worlds to the Corellian system and a good place to refuel. Then on to Coruscant."

"That would be fortuitous," Tionne said. "A quick refuelling stop on Commenor or even Corellia and then into the Core."

Kam pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I've just had an idea, Tionne. Perhaps _you_ should contact Princess Leia Organa."

"Me!" Tionne squeaked, her pale eyes widening.

"Why not? You've already amassed quite a bit of information on Jedi history. Those discs you were reading today were originals."

"I bought them from a smuggler. He had no use for them and I did. He would have destroyed them if I hadn't taken them." Tionne stood up abruptly, her manner defensive. "_Kessel!_ How am I going to contact Princess Leia? I don't exactly mix in those particular circles."

"Neither do I but we'll find a way. It could be beneficial to all of us."

"Yes, it could," she snapped, still rattled over the idea. "If they let us within a parsec of their location…which I doubt. They'll probably throw us in a cell somewhere."

"Tionne…" Kam stood up and placed a hand on her slender shoulder. "The Force has brought _us_ together. Do you think that it would abandon us now?"

Tionne refused to look into his steady grey eyes. He could almost persuade her that anything was possible. "No, you are correct, the Force is with us. But neither of us are members of the Republican Senate."

"The Force has taken us this far. If it is our destiny, it may take us the rest of the journey." Kam was beginning to believe again for the first time in many years and the feeling was wonderful.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Commenor**

Kelt pulled his faded grey-green coverall over his head and stood at the head of the cargo access ramp, wondering where he was going to go and what exactly he was going to do next. So far, nothing had sprung to mind. He missed his family desperately but missing them would not bring them back. The familiar pain swept over him but it seemed muted, far away, as if he was starting to forget how raw he'd felt. He didn't want to forget but it was so easy to let normality sweep him along.

"Kelt!"

He turned wearily at the sound of the captain's voice. "Captain Kar."

The older man's face showed his concern. He'd taken an almost paternal interest in the quiet hardworking young man. Kelt reminded him of his own son at roughly the same age – an adult, fully capable of making his own choices and decisions, yet not having the confidence or experience to do so. He was also aware of Kelt's recent tragic circumstances. The local holopress had seized on the story and recorded every detail with macabre fascination. Such things did not happen in Osar.

The Empire had lost and yet such atrocities continued to happen to decent law-abiding people. The boy was still hurting deeply and would continue to do so for some time, drifting aimlessly in a numb fog. Kar reckoned that time was the only thing that could make a difference. There was nothing Kar could do or say to help Kelt that he hadn't done already. "Do you know what you're looking for…where you are going?"

Kelt managed a smile but it didn't reach his eyes. "No, not really. But it's out there somewhere. I have to go and try to find it. I have no family left on Osarian anymore. It's just me now and I have to make a new life for myself." He briefly thought of the girl he'd been seeing, another worker from the mine, but they hadn't had a firm commitment to one another. She would soon forget him and find another man to give her comfort. He hadn't said anything about his desire to find a Jedi to the captain. He'd be laughed off the ship. "I can't…I just can't go back there. I tried to stay but the memories were too…" He broke off and bowed his head, breathing deeply to control his trembling limbs.

Kar placed his hand comfortingly on Kelt's shoulder. "You're welcome to stay with us until you feel better."

"I know and I'm thankful for your kind offer. It would be so safe and easy for me to stay a little longer and then a little longer still and I would come to the end of my days doing the same thing. But something is telling me that I'm here for a reason and I know that it's time for me to move on. It's the right thing for me to do. I have to act on my instincts."

"Remember, the offer is always open. You are a good worker and I appreciate that."

"I know and thank you for everything that you have done for me." Kelt hesitated to say the words but he was in New Republic territory now and he had the right to say it. It was part of his heritage. "May the Force be with you."

"I haven't heard that said for a long time," Kar murmured, stroking his greying beard thoughtfully.

"For a long time it could not be said but now it can. My grandmother used to say it to me but only when we were alone. She had to be careful - my parents were frightened to hear it." Kelt's hazel eyes glowed with sudden fervour. "This is the New Republic, not the Empire."

"You're right, it is." Kar nodded and again clapped the young man on the shoulder, omitting to say that for the past few years Osarian had also been part of the New Republic and that hadn't saved Kelt's family. There were still evil beings in the galaxy no matter who was in control. "Take care of yourself and keep in touch when you can."

"I will." Kelt hefted his bag over his shoulder, took a deep breath and started walking. He needed somewhere to stay, something to eat and then he had to begin his journey to find the Jedi. He would make his grandmother proud of him. If she hadn't given him the lightsaber, he wouldn't be alive today. He hadn't used it in combat – he wasn't sure he would know what to do with the weapon - but the plain fact that he'd left the house to examine his gift had saved his life. He admitted to himself that he was far more at ease with a blaster than with his grandmother's legacy.

A spaceport collects all types of beings, some of the less desirable variety, and Kelt, still innocent-faced and wearing his Mid-rim factory worker's clothing, was already being targeted for the meagre valuables he might be carrying about his person.

Kelt hesitated in front of the tapcaf but it looked to be clean, better than the cantina he'd passed a few moments ago which had appeared dark and full of some kind of hazy smoke. Stifling his apprehension, he wandered inside. Someone would know where to go and then he would know what to do…he hoped. In all the holo films he'd ever seen, the characters had got their information from a friendly barman. He searched for whoever might be serving behind the bar – a droid could tell him just as well as any living being.

The New Republic was supposed to be in favour of the return of the Jedi Order which meant that he wouldn't be imprisoned for asking about them. He was under no illusions as to the impossibility of his task. The Jedi Order had been destroyed and his own family with it. He could be searching for a myth as he wasn't too certain of the identity of the young Jedi his grandmother had suggested that he find.

He was a nobody – a nobody from an unimportant second-rate world. It didn't give you many chances to ask questions – not to the people that mattered in the universe.

"_Trust the Force, Kelt. It will show you the way."_

He could almost hear his grandmother's voice inside his head. The only thing he could do was trust his feelings. He had no other guide to help him.

"_Find the young Jedi. Promise me that you will."_

"I promise."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Dagobah**

Luke gave a last lingering look around the little camp that had been his home for over three years. It looked a little sad and pathetic. In a matter of weeks no one would know that he or, more significantly, Yoda had ever been there. The strange and exotic plant life would quickly reclaim their territory which was as it should be. He had an image of a butcher-bug spinning one of its lethal razor-sharp webs between the branches of the trees.

Yoda would not want a permanent memorial kept to his existence on this world. His place was within the Force itself and for that alone, he would be remembered.

Yoda's hut appeared lifeless in the miserable weather, the warm, living heart having left it after the old Jedi Master had died. It wasn't a home - it was just an empty shell. Shivering slightly in the dank air, Luke decided to leave all Yoda's cooking utensils where they were. It didn't seem right to take anything unless it pertained to the Jedi and it wasn't as if he needed them. But he carefully packed the old master's gimer stick. He would keep that as a reminder. Mara was transporting both him and Artoo, as well as all of his possessions, away from Dagobah and he could feel her impatience to be gone.

A trickle of rainwater ran over his face and disappeared beneath his collar making him squirm. It had been continually raining over the past three days without even the shortest of breaks. The incessant downpour made packing up and dismantling his temporary rebel-issue shelter unpleasant for Luke but he didn't want to leave it as it had not been born out of Dagobah's natural elements. It had lasted far longer than its makers had ever designed it to. He was trying to leave as little as he could of his existence on Dagobah. The balance of life had to be respected. He'd spent hours trailing box after box of holo-books and other equipment to Mara's ship feeling wet and miserable. Dagobah's torrential precipitation soaked through his clothes right down to his undershorts. At least the plentiful rain would replenish the _Lucky Strike's_ watertanks and, with luck, he would manage to get a proper hot shower once he was finished. He deserved one. If he was to be more accurate, he needed one. With a sigh he hefted another large box into his arms and headed for the ship.

"Skywalker?" Sensibly, Mara stood sheltering from the rain at the top of the _Lucky Strike's _ramp waiting to take the large box from his hands. "Is that the last one?"

"Careful, it's heavy," he grunted. The temptation to just float everything to the ship had been great but he'd refrained. Yoda had lectured him long and often about the dangers of overusing his gift for trivial matters.

"I can manage," Mara said, taking her share of the load.

But Luke shook his head and helped her deposit the box in the vessel's hold. "I know you can but it's easier with two of us doing it. I really do appreciate the fact that you are doing Artoo and me a favour. Almost done, Mara." He grinned tiredly at her, his hair plastered wetly to his forehead, his cloak hanging limply from his shoulders. "A couple more bags and then that's us." He shivered. It was becoming more difficult to ignore the clammy feel of the clothes against his wet skin. "I hope there's a pot of steaming caf on the go."

Mara took in the bedraggled state of the man in front of her and rolled her eyes. She could almost feel the discomfort he was in. "I'm sure that can be arranged once we're in the air but I would like to leave during Dagobah's current daily rotation."

"It is time to leave and we will today, I promise you. Thank you," he said. "I won't be long."

"You'd better not be as I'm not planning to wait."

Luke grinned. "Empty threat," he said bravely, hoping she wouldn't just take off and leave him there. He turned and made his way back to where the skeleton of his beloved ship sat, the corrosion suddenly accelerating out of control as if the ship and the planet knew that Luke was leaving it behind forever and desired it to become part of Dagobah. "I'm sorry, old girl," he said sadly. "We've had some adventures together. But I can't take you with me, much as I would like to do so."

He'd stripped down as much of his X-wing as he could. Some of the parts could perhaps be used after all for running repairs on another ship. Ships broke down on a regular basis and often at the most inconvenient times. Luke knew that to be a certainty. He'd been a rebel, making do, for so long that he hated to waste things that might come in useful later on. Mara had scoffed at him for salvaging the functional parts of his beloved X-wing but had, in the end, helped him complete the task. Otherwise the whole endeavour would have taken much longer than it had. "If only to get it done quicker, Skywalker," she'd grumbled irritably.

Luke gazed at her solemnly. "I appreciate the help and your patience, Mara. Thank you."

Mara stood dumbfounded as her anger melted away. It wasn't often that she was thanked so earnestly but Skywalker always said 'thank you'. "Don't mention it," she'd mumbled, turning away and busying herself in the task she'd allotted herself, not really certain how to accept the gratitude given. No one had ever treated her like that.

He'd really done a number on his once trusty X-wing, he admitted wryly to himself. Scrapping it was the only option he had. It was amazing that it had lasted as long as it had done without proper maintenance. Maybe Leia could pull strings to get him a new ship once he was home. It was the only way that he could afford one. Flying was still the way to freedom in his heart.

'_Home.'_

The dream of being with his family had seemed so unattainable for such a long time. He'd known that this was the way that it had to be when he decided to complete his training. He had steeled himself to accept the loss and isolation that he'd felt and had, in time, become accustomed to and even enjoyed his solitude. He'd revered and, yes, loved Yoda but the old Jedi wasn't part of him the way that Leia was.

Yoda had loved Luke but had never lost sight of the fact that Luke was a means to an end. Luke wasn't just another student; he was the hope for the future of the Jedi. Yoda didn't love Luke for himself with all his faults and many failings. Yoda needed to save the Jedi and Luke understood – he really did for that was his destiny - but sometimes it just hadn't been enough to compensate for the loss of the people he cared most about.

He would soon be leaving Dagobah… probably forever. There was no reason to come back. Finally, he would be going home to his sister and his friends and the time in hyperspace would drag interminably until he was with them again. He smiled as he imagined Yoda and Ben chiding him for his impatience. Some things would never change.

His long unused comlink chirruped, breaking his reverie.

"Skywalker!" Mara snapped briskly. "If you are still planning on coming with me and not merging into the mud with the water this sithspawned planet seems to throw down from the sky, I suggest you start moving. The caf I went to the trouble of making will be cold and only good for weatherproofing your next X-wing."

"Yes, My Lady," he replied smartly, inexplicably cheered by her voice. "Just give me a moment."

"It had better be quick, Skywalker. I'm firing up the converters." The com clicked off abruptly.

He gave the forlorn frame of the X-wing one last pat before moving towards Yoda's hut. The muddy track had turned slippery in the rain and Luke had to watch his footing as he made his way to the tiny dwelling nestled beneath the giant gnarl tree. Ducking his head, he slipped inside. He'd left a few things there just so that he had the excuse to return one final time.

"Goodbye," he said softly, staring around the cramped little house. He'd learned so much here – changed, strengthened and grown in the light of the Force. Here he had learned the way of the Jedi. Suddenly, from a distance, he heard a familiar, mischievous chuckle.

"_The Force will be with you, Luke. As will we all. Proud of you I am. Well you have done. A true Jedi knight like your father before you are you. Always with you we will be."_

Luke bowed his head, swallowed, and as he picked up his duffle bag, ready to leave Yoda's home for the last time, his head connected with the low ceiling. "Ow!" he muttered, rubbing the spot ruefully. He should have learned by now how low the ceilings were. Or perhaps it was the spirit of Yoda playing one last joke on his hapless apprentice.

He could feel Mara's continuing impatience through the tentative link they'd forged. He hadn't mentioned the connection between them to her but it was there – he couldn't ignore its presence. It was inevitable, the call of one Jedi to another. Obi-Wan had suggested that the woman he dreamed about would seek him out and he'd been right. Would others do the same? It would make his search for new Jedi a lot simpler. Soon Mara would realise that their futures were undeniably linked in some way. She was one of the most intelligent women he had ever met and hopefully wouldn't stay fooled for long by her dislike of who and what he was. His mouth twitched into a rueful smile. She probably wouldn't be happy about it. She was still determined to dislike him and he was just as determined to change her mind. He suspected he was winning more than he was losing in that particular battle but getting her to admit it would be nigh on impossible.

It was time to go. He couldn't delay leaving any longer. "Goodbye," Luke said again quietly, somehow hearing the plaintive song of the Jubba bird inside his head as he left the small dwelling, making his way swiftly towards the _Lucky Strike, _her engines already purring He'd helped Mara with the repairs and was certain that the ship's engine had never been in such good condition. Mara was more sceptical as Karrde employed only the very best engine techs for his ships but she had admitted that it appeared to be okay. He had smiled happily at her grudging praise.

"Artoo!"

The little droid wheeled itself to the access hatch and stood waiting for his master. Luke moved up the ramp, his small duffle bag slung over his shoulder. "Yes, that's everything. I'm ready to leave and it looks as if Mara's ready too." The door had started to close as soon as he had placed his foot on the ramp.

The little droid hesitated at the top of the ramp and beeped a question.

"Move Artoo," Luke ordered, quickening his stride. "I would go and strap yourself firmly into the droid station. If Mara needs you to help, she will ask you. I think that would be the best idea." His voice was wry. Mara and Artoo had developed an uneasy truce. It resembled the relationship he and Mara had in many ways. He banished the memory of their 'almost kiss' to a hidden place in his mind. It was far too disturbing to think of such things at this point in time. The way he was beginning to feel about the beautiful trader would have to be faced another time. He was certain she did not feel the same way.

"_Beginning to feel!"_ The voice laughed at him inside his head. _"Too late for you it is. The Skywalkers love on sight and forever. Their destiny it is."_

"I don't love her," he muttered underneath his breath, "It's too soon. I'm not that reckless. I'm wrong for her and she doesn't like me. It's not the best recipe for a fulfilling relationship."

"_In denial you are. In time, admit your feelings you will. Like you she does. Against her will maybe, but like you she does for certain. Patience, Luke, and turn to love it could."_

"Yeah." Luke rubbed his hand across his forehead wondering if he was actually hearing Yoda inside his head or just talking to himself in Yoda's unique style. It wasn't surprising as he'd heard Obi-Wan inside his head just after watching the old man duel with Vader and lose. Luke froze, the memory still having the power to hurt.

_Vader…no, not Vader. Anakin. _There had been good in him even then for he could have killed Luke and he had not.

The ramp closed behind him with a solid thunk and he found he couldn't move because Artoo was in his way, his head rotating from side to side as he beeped out a couple of questions.

"Artoo, I told you to move. I need to stow my gear. Yes, everything's fine." Leaving the little droid tootling anxiously behind him, he made his way to the cabin he'd been allotted. It was small but well-equipped with everything he needed, including a small 'fresher with a real shower. Karrde certainly took care of his people. He closed the door and headed to the cockpit. "That's everything on board."

"Good," Mara muttered, busy at the controls. "I was beginning to think that I'd have to take off without you…" She glanced at his attire, visible under his cloak, properly for the first time that day and her jaw dropped as she did a double take. "What in the stars are you wearing?"

Luke surveyed his clothing, a frown appearing on his forehead. "This is my Jedi uniform."

"Your Jedi _uniform!"_ Mara blinked and took stock of what he was wearing. Underneath his cloak were a well-cut black tunic and matching pants which had been tucked into knee length black leather boots. A black leather belt, from which hung his lightsaber, completed the ensemble.

"Yes – my Jedi uniform." He removed the cloak from around his shoulders and placed it in one of the overhead lockers.

Mara recalled all the images she had seen of him latterly, including the holo-message at Jabba's Palace on Tatooine, and he'd been dressed in the same way. It was probably the same outfit. Black pants and a black tunic with a hint of the style of the Jedi fashion from the Clone War period. But the Old Republican era Jedi had usually worn brown and beige, not black. The Sith had worn black.

"I didn't know the new Jedi Order had a uniform," she said snidely. "I haven't seen that many members."

"Leave it Mara," he said wearily, hoping that her sniping wasn't set to continue for the entire length of the journey home. He didn't understand why she had the constant desire to challenge and mock everything he said but he supposed that it was preparing him for something. He wasn't going to walk into the Senate chamber on Coruscant and immediately get everything he wanted. There would be distrust and probably outright hostility. Palpatine had painted the Jedi as traitorous and evil and even years after his death many still believed it to be the truth.

"But why black?"

He sat down beside her in the co-pilot's chair and strapped himself in, ready for takeoff. "It's practical."

"Oh."

"You're also wearing black," he pointed out.

Mara was dressed in a black leather jumpsuit that outlined every sensuous curve of her body. He'd never seen anything look quite so good.

"I'll echo your reason. It's practical," she said. He'd been dressed in a similar fashion when they'd met on Druckenwell she recalled but this was the first time that she'd seen him wearing the all-black ensemble since then. Did his entire wardrobe consist of old rebel alliance fatigues and what she'd just dubbed in her mind his 'Jedi blacks'? "But at least I'm dry. You're soaked through."

"Once we've cleared Dagobah's atmosphere I will shower and change."

"Then what was the point of changing into…that?"

"Whatever I wore today would have been soaked through. I have more than one."

"I might have guessed," she muttered. "But I still don't see the point."

"Why does it matter to you what I wear? It's just my clothing."

"No," Mara said shrewdly, "It's more than that."

Luke, surprised at her insight, turned his head to look at her but Mara kept her gaze fixed resolutely on the controls. "Yes, you're right. It is to remind me what I could become. There is a darkness in me…in all of us. I cannot let the dark side take hold."

"So you wear dark on the outside to prevent…what?" she asked contemptuously. "It's not a shield, Skywalker. I thought that strength of character was what keeps the dark at bay." She didn't know why she felt the need to mock him, but she really would like to see him in something other than black and those shabby fatigues at least once. Her lips tightened. That was a strange notion. Why would she care what he wore? "You are still a man. No one can be perfect all the time."

"No, but I try…" His lips tightened.

"I thought Jedi didn't 'try'," she said mockingly.

"You're learning," Luke returned, his face impassive.

Mara threw him a brief glance of annoyance. He was as quick witted as she was. It wasn't often that she met someone who matched her so well. It was a pity they could not become real friends. She was almost beginning to like him despite all of his annoying habits – none of which she could currently mention. "Are you really ready to leave?"

"Yes," he answered quietly, staring out the cockpit at Dagobah for the last time. The white mist curled around the vessel and he could see one of the birds soar between the ancient white gnarl trees. An urge to see blue skies and golden desert sands crossed his mind but he suppressed it. Time for that later. "There's nothing here for me now. I have to move forward with my life. I cannot rebuild the Jedi Order from Dagobah."

"No, I suppose not." Mara began flipping switches.

Luke stretched over and placed his hand upon hers. "Wait! We will need to access the Force to leave the planet safely."

She stopped what she was doing and turned a startled gaze towards him. "We will?" Her hand tingled under his calloused fingers and she quickly removed it.

Luke shrugged, resting his hands on his well-toned thighs. "Why do you think Yoda was left undiscovered for so many years?"

"No one bothered to look for him," Mara said dismissively.

"You know that's not true. They would have scoured the galaxy for any trace of him. He was a threat to Palpatine."

"He was able to shield?" Mara suggested lightly, unsettled at the mention of her master.

"Partly, but Dagobah's atmosphere has a natural Force barrier. It protected Yoda from being discovered. A dark Jedi lived on the planet for a little while and that also helped mask any lingering traces of his presence."

"And that is why all my instruments went haywire when I arrived? It's because of this natural Force protection?"

"I believe so. I nearly crashed my X-wing the very first time I visited Dagobah. I landed in the swamp and Yoda had to help me raise my ship. Use your intuition, your feelings. The instrument panel will not help you until we clear the atmosphere." His eyes darkened. "Use the Force, Mara."

Mara pulled back the lever, her mind reaching out for the workings of her ship. Then she felt the reassuring weight of real power as Luke joined her, showing her what to do, and the whole procedure became effortless. Smoothly, the ship rose and began to accelerate. Minutes later when Luke opened his eyes, he saw the mist-enshrouded world retreating away from their craft. She was accessing her abilities so much easier now, he thought, still revelling in the feeling of their linked senses.

"A few more minutes and we can make the jump to hyperspace," Mara said, checking the instruments and dials before her. "Everything appears to be functioning the way it should."

"If you can take me to the nearest port, Mara," Luke said thoughtfully, "I can pick up a transport to Coruscant. I'll make sure you are recompensed for your trouble."

"I'm going to Coruscant, nerf," she snapped, irritated at being thought one step up from the operator of a Coruscant air taxi. "I was being paid to find you, remember? I'll take you home."

"Oh! Of course, I forgot," he said lamely. He didn't like the feeling that this was merely a job for her. During the past few days, they had achieved a strange sort of peace between them. He could feel things unsaid and undone simmering under the surface but it was still an improvement. "You should get a bonus," he mumbled. Mara Jade was more complex than Luke could fathom but then he'd never understood the way women's minds worked.

"I said I would take you home - if only to prove to your sister and that Corellian boyfriend of hers that I mean what I say." Mara finished her calculations for the jump to hyperspace and sighed. "We'll need to stop and refuel at some point but I think we can get quite far first -almost to the Core. Perhaps you'll be close enough to contact your sister."

"And when you drop me off on Coruscant, Mara Jade – what then?"

"What do you mean?"

"Will I see you again?"

"It's possible but the galaxy's a big place," she said and pulled the lever, continuing to monitor the instruments until she was satisfied. "When I decide to kill you, I will let you know."

"Kind of you," Luke said dryly. "I know you don't mean that. You won't kill me. You cannot."

She clenched her teeth. This wasn't how it was supposed to turn out. He was making her feel things she didn't want to feel. She'd been Palpatine's assassin and now this Jedi had damaged her ability to be what she once was. She reacted in the only way that she could - with words. "We'll be in hyperspace for some time. I suggest you go now and change out of those wet things. The word Jedi must be synonymous with having no common sense. Then go and relax for a while…if Jedi are allowed to do such a thing?" she queried. "Go and talk to your droid or meditate. That's what you Jedi do, isn't it?" Mara's voice was offhandedly dismissive.

"Excuse me," he said stiffly while undoing his safety belts, the careless scorn in her voice stinging. "I must check on Artoo before I shower and change." He was beginning to feel the chill of his wet clothes seeping into his skin and tried not to shiver. He had the feeling that Mara wouldn't exactly be sympathetic. She still wanted to kill him after all. She'd not said anything about changing her mind. But she couldn't kill him, he argued with himself. She had felt something for him. Her feelings had to have changed over the past few weeks and she had definitely been less antagonistic. She was friendlier in a chilly Hoth kind of manner but it was an improvement on her former hostility.

"What did I say?" Mara mused aloud as his black-clad form disappeared swiftly from the cockpit. "Jedi meditate…it was merely a comment, Skywalker." Why was he so sensitive about his meditating? It couldn't be because he thought they might never see one another again. She clenched her fists in a futile gesture until she remembered that he'd stowed his sopping wet cloak in the overhead locker "Skywalker! Your cloak!" There was no answer. "Damn Jedi!" she muttered. He'd probably hit the shower and she wasn't chasing after him there.

With another grumbled epithet she got out of her seat to remove it. "It'll start to smell if it's left in there. Nothing worse than the aroma of mildewed Jedi cloak." Shaking her head, she found a warm place to hang the garment. It would dry in no time.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

An hour later, Mara wandered through the crew quarters to find Luke, freshly showered and changed into another black outfit, sitting cross-legged on the deck plates, his eyes closed in meditation with Artoo standing guard and an untouched mug of cold caf beside him. With a sigh of exasperation she removed the mug to the galley and flipped the switch on the water boiler.

"Skywalker!" A shiver of apprehension ran through her and she turned swiftly to see him begin to tremble.

"No…this cannot happen," Luke mumbled and then seemed to just crumple into a heap on the floor.

Artoo began jiggling from side-to-side calling out to Mara to help his master in a wailing crescendo of electronic notes. As Mara dropped swiftly to her knees beside the unconscious Jedi, images sped through her brain too quickly for her to decipher what she was seeing. "Skywalker…Luke!" She glanced at Artoo in consternation. "He's out cold," she said placing her hand on Luke's forehead. "Skywalker!" She began to shake him slightly, tapping his cheeks gently. "Skywalker!" She gave up the gentle tapping and administered a hard slap to the side of his face. He groaned. "If that's what happens to Jedi when they meditate, droid," she muttered to Artoo, "I'm never taking up that activity." Just to make sure he was still alive she walloped him again…hard…and was rewarded by another faint moan.

Artoo wheeled himself to the small galley kitchen, pulled a couple of water containers from one of the packs and brought them back to Mara.

The redhead took the water from Artoo, hesitated and then shrugged, muttering, "Why not?" and dumped half of it over Luke's face. His eyelids flickered and then opened.

"Wha...what! Mara? What's wrong?" He suddenly felt the effect of his second shower of the day as the water dripped beneath the stiff black tunic collar. "Hey, I'm wet!" he exclaimed. "Why am I wet?" He was also lying down, he thought hazily and the deck plates weren't exactly comfortable.

"You keeled over. I thought the water might wake you up again. You feeling alright?"

"Yeah, I think so." He lifted his head and went a little white. "Ahhh."

"I've got you, Skywalker." She held out the bottle of water and helped him to sit. "Do you know what happened?"

Luke took a sip of water and exhaled slowly, getting his rapidly beating heart under control. "I was meditating and…"

"You saw something. I know you did." Mara straightened, her expression eager. "What did you see?"

"I'm not sure. It's all a little fuzzy. Many…images all fused together…moving too quickly." Luke closed his eyes for a moment and searched his mind for the answers. "I saw a fortress," he said. "A dark fortress," he repeated. "I've seen it before but I've never been there. Then I saw a boy…like I once was…innocent and unknowing until his family were slaughtered in front of his eyes."

"The boy was in the fortress?"

"No…I don't know where he is but he's not there – not in the fortress. Everything was all jumbled up. What was learned he can now never unlearn. He can never forget what he saw." He looked up at Mara, his blue eyes distressed. "I think I sensed the pain he felt when it actually happened. I don't know when it happened either. It could have been yesterday or it may have been last year. Hell, Mara, it could have been fifty years ago."

"Do you really think that?"

"No, not really. It seemed more recent. He's alone out there and people will be looking for him." He did not add that the boy's fate reminded him of his own.

"People?"

"People…" Luke exhaled slowly. "The wrong kind of people. They feel…dark. He needs my help." His hand reached out and gripped Mara's arm. "Mara, he needs _our_ help."

"_Our _help_." _Mara hesitated. She couldn't agree to help him save Jedi…could she? But she could feel the powerful appeal held in those blue eyes. "Did you recognise any of them?"

"No." He realised that he was still holding onto her arm and let go. "But that doesn't mean very much. I've been isolated on a swamp planet for over three years and before that I was a wanted fugitive on the run. I don't know who might be looking for this boy. The figures were dark…shadowed. I couldn't see their faces."

"How old is this boy?" Mara had visions of a child possibly not unlike herself when she'd first been brought to Palpatine.

Luke thought again. "Mid to late twenties."

"That's no boy!" Mara exclaimed. "He's about your own age. He's an adult."

"But if he's never experienced the things we have? I flew in my first battle at eighteen. When did you take on your first real mission for the Emperor?"

Mara's face held a stricken look. "I was about the same…perhaps a year younger. I can't remember."

Luke had learned enough about Mara to know when not to push her any further for information. "I didn't stop running or fighting until I withdrew to Dagobah. This one has been sheltered all his life."

"Like you once were?" Mara guessed shrewdly. She'd been highly trained for her job but the first assassination had still been a shock.

Luke didn't want the same fate to befall this innocent. Real life should have intruded upon him in a far gentler fashion. "I have to help him, Mara. He's Force-strong. I've already lost one boy that I could have trained."

"This isn't about him at all, is it?" Mara said. "Leia told me about the boy on Bakura – the one brainwashed by the Ssi-ruuk. This is all about your failure to save him."

"No." Luke ignored Mara's steadying hand and climbed to his feet. "Dev Sibwarra died in the light of the Force. Yes, I'm affected by his loss but I cannot let it influence me totally."

"Be careful."

"I'm fine." Luke brushed away Mara's concern.

"Where are you going?"

"To the cargo hold. There's still some space there. I need to do my lightsaber drill."

"Save it for tomorrow. You passed out, Jedi. Do you think lightsaber drill is wise right now? My chrono says it's the sleep cycle. Maybe Obi-Wan will visit you in your sleep and tell you everything you want to know."

Luke's mouth twitched into an unwilling smile. "Obi-Wan never did that when he was alive. He's certainly not going to start it now."

"But Qui-Gon…"

"Qui-Gon what?"

She sighed. "He never answered my questions either, did he?"

"Mara, there was more…"

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like this?"

"Because _I_ don't like it," he admitted. "The dark fortress holds secrets and one of them could undo everything that has happened so far."

"You're not telling me anything that makes sense, Skywalker."

"Palpatine is dead, Mara. I saw him die. I saw it happen and you told me that you felt it happen so why do I get the feeling that part of him is still out there?"

"The holocron!" Mara recalled the strange words of the Falleen Jedi Master. "He said that the dark side has ways of returning. Could the Emperor not be truly dead?" Mara did not feel the sense of exultation that she thought that she would. Instead, there was a strange gnawing fear.

Luke's mouth opened to deny her statement. To begin with, no sound emerged until his brain had caught up with what Mara was suggesting. He closed his eyes and ran through the vision once more. Palpatine was dead. He had seen him die in front of his eyes. "I can't see…" He opened his eyes and shook his head. "I couldn't see anything more. Sometimes working with my saber focuses my concentration. I have to find that dark fortress and I think you are the only one who can help me."

"Me!"

"Yes."

"Why should I help you?" Her mood darkened. "You killed my master."

"You know that's not true," he gritted through clenched teeth. "How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't – I couldn't. Palpatine lied to you, Mara. Used your abilities and denied you your freedom. In your head you have worked out the real truth. Your heart may be leading you in other directions but you have to believe me." Luke could feel his emotions rising despite his attempts to remain calm.

"I have to…Oh, no, Skywalker. I _don't_ have to."

"I'm telling the truth," he entreated, blue eyes flashing. "I do not lie." His voice rose. He clenched his fists, feeling the nails digging into the palms of his hands until he'd regained his control. "I do not lie," he repeated quietly, the words more powerful than if he had shouted. "You were his hand, his personal servant. Surely you've been places that others never knew about."

"Yes, but…"

"Think about it…really think about it. If you still feel that you cannot do it, I will have to do this on my own."

"And the boy…the young man?"

"I hope someone up there is watching over him until I find him. If the others find him first…then I do not know what hope there is of his chances for survival."

Mara felt his disappointment and was surprised to see that his blue eyes had turned wintry. "But…"

"I understand," Luke said heavily. "This is not your fight. But it should be."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

15


	27. Chapter 27

**Out of the Shadows 27**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title and for Michele for taking the time to read.

**_The Lucky Strike_ – Somewhere in hyperspace**

"Goodnight, Mara," Luke said politely, his manner formal, squashing down the irrational disappointment he felt. So, she was saying that she didn't want to become a Jedi Knight, was she? But he'd been so sure…he could feel her need to embrace the Force. It was as necessary to her as breathing. She'd stayed on Dagobah with him far longer than she'd needed to – she'd listened to his teaching and learned from it.

"Not everything revolves around the Jedi," Mara retorted, irritated by Luke's statement that his fight should also become hers. "Maybe that's the reason that they completely disappeared from the galaxy. They were too caught up in themselves and their petty disputes to do what they were supposed to be doing – protecting the galaxy."

"Not all of them disappeared," Luke countered. "Some stayed."

"One old man and an ancient green gnome, both of them in hiding, do not count," she returned with a sneer. "That's hardly protecting the galaxy."

"No, not the galaxy. They were protecting me," he whispered. He tried to push away his feelings of frustration and disappointment. She would regret rejecting the Jedi. She would search to the end of her days for something to give her life true meaning. In the end she would find only failure and regret. He could see it as a certainty. Perhaps she did not think he was capable of training future Jedi. He opened his mouth to say something that would salvage his hurt pride.

"_No, my young Jedi. Think before you speak and do not drive her away with ill-conceived words and rash actions. Remember her history – her life in the service of the Emperor. You must tread cautiously. One day you will need one another. Mara Jade must become a Jedi. It is her right and her destiny but she will not be easy to win to our cause. Please think before speaking. Say the wrong thing and all is lost."_

The voice in his head was clear and well-spoken but unfamiliar to him. Who could this be? Possibly someone interested in Mara – a Jedi anchoring their spirit to her. Could this be the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn? Mara had already revealed that she'd been visited by the spirit of Obi-Wan's former master. Could this be the voice of reason Luke was obviously lacking?

It suddenly struck him that this was the way that Mara was. She was fighting her destiny because of the way she had been controlled by Palpatine. The voice had spoken the truth. How could he be so foolish? He could not force her; she had to choose to take that path on her own but perhaps he could help her see the 'way of the Jedi' as the correct route in the manner that Obi-Wan and Yoda had done for Luke. He smiled inwardly at his own pun. She would have to come to him on her own terms or at least believing that they were her own terms. He wasn't thinking clearly when it came to Mara because his desire to help her quickly was clouding his better judgement. She'd been raised her entire life to view the Jedi as the enemy and Luke Skywalker as the greatest foe of all. He still had a lot to learn on how to deal with people and should never forget it.

The Jedi stood still, his expression difficult to gauge. "Skywalker…" Mara said warily. She knew that the finding and training of Jedi was going to be Skywalker's all-consuming lifetime's work. Mara wasn't sure that she wanted to be a part of it – she wasn't sure if she could…if she even had what it took. She'd given everything she'd had in the service of the Emperor and suspected that she'd little left to give. His life would be cut short anyway - she was still going to kill him. But the vow was weaker than it had ever been.

"I will take the next shift," he interrupted, sensing her vacillating emotions and guarding his own. She was a shrewd judge of character and could easily, without knowing, be picking up things through the Force about him. A little less attention on her could be productive in the long run. Mara's competitive nature meant that she would not want to be thought lacking in ability. Arguing with her would only make her dig her defences deeper.

"You don't have to take shifts," Mara demurred, wondering why he had given up so suddenly and if she should apologise, yet not really knowing what she was sorry about. She wasn't in the habit of saying that she was sorry to anyone.

"I do," he insisted stoutly. "You need to rest. We both do. A diet of stimpils and ration bars is no substitute for proper rest and real food."

"I eat real food," Mara muttered.

"You do, since you've been in my company," he countered.

"And that is a recommendation for remaining in your company?"

"If you want to, I don't mind. But remember, I will try and teach you the way of the Jedi. If you think that is worth also eating properly it's a start." He smiled benignly. "I will do my part in monitoring the ship."

"If you're sure?" She was looking at him curiously.

Luke nodded. "I am. I don't really need to tell _you_ that it's best to be cautious this far out on the Rim. I do not sense any danger but it would be wise to be careful. I will take my share of the watch duty. It is only fair."

"Very well." There was nothing else she could say. He was right.

"Goodnight, Mara," he said again.

He walked from the crew area and Mara heard his cabin door closing. She frowned. So she didn't want to be a Jedi - what was wrong with that? But she thought he might have protested a little more over her decision. "I don't want to be a Jedi, not if I end up like Skywalker."

"_Liar."_

"Stay out of my head, Skywalker," she gritted angrily. But as soon as the words had left her lips she knew she'd been mistaken. This wasn't Skywalker. Living with the young Jedi for several weeks had taught her that he meant what he said. He would not invade her private thoughts without her permission. It would not gain him any favours. No, this was a different voice – a voice she'd heard before. "Qui-Gon," she said with understanding. If Skywalker's theories were correct, this Qui-Gon Jinn had decided to anchor his spirit to hers as a sort of guide. She'd barely managed to get rid of the Emperor's voice in her head – in fact, wasn't certain that he'd really gone – and now Palpatine's harsh voice had been replaced by the cultured tones of a long dead Jedi Master. Her soft lips tightened. Just what she didn't need, she groused inwardly. She couldn't calmly dispatch this Jedi to another plane of existence.

"Qui-Gon!" she called softly, feeling rather foolish talking to a voice inside her head. The Emperor was different. Qui-Gon had been dead for years. "I can't become a Jedi – not yet."

But no one answered her. She was alone. Just Mara Jade, her starship and…Skywalker. He had to be reading her mind despite all his words to the contrary. He knew far too much about what she was thinking.

"I'm not capable of becoming a Jedi," she said softly. It would be far better to walk away before she disappointed both herself and Skywalker.

But Skywalker was right about one thing although she wouldn't admit that to his pretty face without being tortured by an imperial interrogator droid. She did want to learn how to use the Force, or the part of her that didn't feel she was betraying her master did. What would the Emperor think about her secret desire? Had Palpatine thought that she was capable of more advanced Jedi training? If he had, he'd never said. Skywalker certainly did think she was capable and she couldn't help but be flattered.

"_I saw a dark fortress."_

Skywalker's words echoed in her head. Her master had several fortresses that Skywalker would consider dark. But there was one above all others… Could it be? With deliberate strength of will, Mara suppressed a shiver.

She stared around the empty crew area. It was clean, tidy and functional, yet it felt lonely. She'd never felt that way before, not when flying. It was one of the things that she loved to do. It was one of the only times that she considered herself to be truly free. Mara blinked in surprise. She'd always considered herself a free citizen of the Empire – hadn't she?

Skywalker could be annoying but he was never dull despite what she said to him on a daily basis. She reached into her own mind and tried to see if she could still hear the voice of her master despite her trepidation at doing so. But there was nothing – no voice inside her head telling her what she should do with the rest of her life – nothing to guide her onto the next stage. She was alone with only her own disturbing thoughts telling her what to do.

Skywalker seemed to be so certain of what he wanted to do and she envied him his conviction. Mara knew that she could help him if she wanted to. Did she want to…really help him? It wasn't that she wanted to become like him. All the knowledge she had of the Jedi indicated that their lives were sterile. 'And yours is not?' a little voice mocked. Mara scowled but at least it was her own voice she was hearing for once.

Could she guide Skywalker to the location of his visions - the dark fortress? It was possible; she was an experienced operative after all and who knew better Palpatine's haunts than she did? It wasn't just the risk to their lives she had to consider – there was also her sanity. He could draw her into his world with a single glance and she'd never felt such a dangerous threat before. Never get too close to your victims had always seemed to be a sound piece of advice. Mara was beginning to wonder if she'd become too close to this one. Yet the desire to study as much as she could about Jedi techniques was strong. If she guided him to the fortress she would be able to learn what she could and then return to her job with Karrde and his smugglers. She pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger and sighed. What was she thinking of? She didn't need to be trained. She wanted nothing more to do with Skywalker and his Jedi plans. She worked for Talon Karrde – she was a trader and she enjoyed being exactly that.

It didn't sound as glamorous and exciting as being able to say that she was a Jedi Knight.

She stood up and walked to the door of Skywalker's cabin. He wasn't asleep. She could hear him moving about inside and before she lost her nerve, she tapped gently on the door and walked in. It wasn't locked.

"Skywalker…! Oh! I'm sorry." Mara stared stupidly at the bare-chested man caught in the midst of undressing, his hands on the waistband of his black pants ready to pull them down over his trim hips, a glimpse of grey fabric below.

"Another couple of seconds and it might have been embarrassing," he commented wryly, his hands falling away from his hips, hoping that the light flush on his face wasn't too apparent in the dim lighting. "What is it?"

Mara swallowed, her eyes unwillingly tracking his lean, muscled frame. Her stomach lurched and her heart did an awkward flip inside her chest. He was beautiful – she had to admit it. There wasn't a spare inch of flesh anywhere on his body. This was wrong, this…feeling she was experiencing. He was her enemy and one day she would have to kill him even if she didn't want to. It would come down to that – Skywalker or Jade. She wasn't so naïve that she didn't recognise desire when it hit her. She just hadn't expected to feel that so strongly for this man.

"Mara?" Luke could sense some tension within her and nervously ran his hands through his already tousled hair - the movement, as he lifted his hands, making muscles ripple underneath his smooth skin.

"So you wear grey underpants," she managed to say. "That's hardly going to set the universe on fire." But it was the sudden realisation of what was under the clinging grey fabric that was turning her thoughts to mush.

"I don't advertise it…normally. Mara, did you want to tell me something important? My next load of washing is not a topic worth discussing."

"Byss," she managed to say, her throat dry, as she thrust the disturbing feeling into the corner of her mind. If she continued to ignore it, it would go away.

"What?"

"Byss," she repeated. "It's a where, not a what."

"I've heard of it. The Abyssin species…" His mind dimly recalled some of the galactic geography classes he'd taken when he'd still considered entering the Imperial training Academy. Wasn't it another desert planet like Tatooine? Destiny in the shape of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Leia and Han had changed his mind.

"No, not there."

"There's another planet named Byss?" Luke sat down on his bunk, reaching for a pale blue shirt with which to cover himself. "Of course there is." Yoda had talked about places strong with the dark side of the Force. Sith strongholds, their secrets passed down from master to apprentice, were sources of great danger. Byss was a secret planet hidden in the deep Core accessible only through certain routes because of the complexity of navigating through the dense mass of stars. It was a secret to _most_ beings but Yoda had known about it. Hiding a grin, he pulled the shirt over his head and tried to flatten his hair which refused to oblige him.

Mara stepped back and stood in the open doorway, her eyes skittering away from his. "It's well hidden," she muttered, stepping forward again. "Not many know the way to the fortress itself."

"But you do." Luke's eyes took on a watchful glint. Why had she suddenly decided to tell him this?

"Yes. I know the way. It's in the Deep Core."

"Oh," Luke didn't say that he'd been told about Byss by Yoda. He guessed that it was not easy for Mara to offer him help - not if she was talking about Palpatine's most hidden seat of power.

"The hyperspace lanes are difficult to navigate through for all but the most experienced pilots." Mara tried to read the expression on his face and could not. She didn't yet know what she was doing but she reached out and attempted to penetrate the shields that Luke had placed around his mind.

"And of course, you are an experienced pilot." Luke felt her attempts to access his mind. She wouldn't get anywhere but at least she was trying to use her powers. "What exactly is _there_, Mara?"

"A dark fortress," she answered quietly, still not getting anything from the man before her. "The Emperor had several you would consider 'dark' but this one was his private retreat – his most secret citadel. When he went there the court stayed on Coruscant. It was the nearest he ever was to being alone. There are many pieces there that you might find…interesting." Her voice cooled. "Vader also had property on Byss. He was the only one that I can remember ever regularly accompanied the Emperor there."

"To be near his master," Luke murmured, stiffening slightly at the frosty mention of his father. "It makes perfect sense – to protect as well as serve. If I decide that I need to go there…" Luke suspected that it wouldn't be an option if the intensity of his vision had anything to do with it. But he'd learned one lesson over the years – not to go rushing off without doing his homework first. "Can you give me the co-ordinates?"

"I…think so. I would have to work them out… But…" Mara hesitated - wanting to say more.

"That would be most helpful," Luke said politely, as if he was exchanging small talk at a society function. He stood up and walked towards her as if ushering her to the door. "I will relieve you in six hours, if that is convenient?"

Mara couldn't believe that he was dismissing her. He was civil but it was a dismissal nonetheless. Normally he was almost desperate to talk to her. Why wasn't he attempting to change her mind about the Jedi training? Frowning, she narrowed her sharp green gaze on him. It was almost as if he was waiting for her to do something.

"Something else, Mara?" Luke asked pleasantly.

"I could take you there," she said, the words emerging from her mouth without her head's consent. Mara thought that she'd already made her decision with regard to Skywalker. She wanted to see less of the Jedi, not more. "It would be easier than giving you the co-ordinates."

"Thank you but that is not necessary," Luke declined courteously. "I am quite capable of setting my navicomp to the correct co-ordinates and following them. The Force will help to guide me."

"Oh!" Mara muttered. That wasn't the answer she'd expected to hear. "But suppose I don't want to just give you the co-ordinates."

Luke arched an eyebrow, his well-shaped mouth curling sardonically. "I see that you want to name your price, Jade. You are a true galactic trader after all. Talon Karrde would be proud of you."

Mara's green eyes narrowed suspiciously. Skywalker never called her by her surname. It was always just 'Mara'. In fact, he was one of the few people to do so. But there had been a hard edge to his voice this time as if he was disappointed in her. "Listen, you son of a…"

"Goodnight again, Mara. I should really get some sleep if I'm to be alert enough in six hours to relieve you," he said mildly, cutting off her derogatory words, an amiable smile on his lips and Mara wanted to smack the complacent expression from his face. So she was back to 'Mara' again, was she? He took a couple more steps forward and she backed away.

Skywalker didn't know what he was getting himself into. She'd only been in the fortress on Byss a couple of times – if that was indeed the right place - and there were no guarantees. It wasn't somewhere she would choose to go willingly. The actual journey to the planet itself had been a difficult one.

She somehow found herself out in the corridor and the cabin door closed. "Sithspawned Jedi…" she swore quietly. How had he managed to do that without feeling the effects of her small holdout blaster?

It was one thing to take him to Byss but it was quite another to actually get inside one of Palpatine's fortresses. She'd thought that he would have been glad to have more of a chance to convert her to the Jedi cause but she'd obviously been incorrect. She wasn't going to take him anywhere after this trip…ever…no matter how many credits he and Solo offered to pay her. This was the last time she would ever transport a Jedi. Palpatine had been right about all of them.

Mara considered that she'd known Palpatine better than anyone else and yet she hadn't known him at all. Skywalker she had been with for a couple of weeks and now felt that she knew him better than maybe even herself. If Luke Skywalker thought that he could just stroll into the fortress on Byss and collect its contents, he was gravely mistaken. This wasn't some Death Star he was attempting to rescue a princess from. There was an air of… She slumped against the bulkhead, her mind in a whirl. Her master's retreat on Byss could only be described as having an aura of evil about it but she'd never put it into such plain words before. She'd never liked being there – the whole atmosphere of the palace had made her feel uncomfortable. Things happened and beings disappeared never to be seen again. Every leader did things he wasn't proud of for the good of his people but Mara couldn't fool herself any longer as much as she wanted to.

Why did Skywalker want to go to Byss? What had he seen in his visions that frightened him? And Mara somehow knew that he did feel fear.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

For the next two days Mara continued to mull over the situation that she found herself in – wanting to become proficient in the Jedi arts, yet not admitting to any more weaknesses in front of Skywalker. She didn't want to help him yet felt driven by some instinct to offer him her aid. She saw little of the young Jedi. She had the impression that he was avoiding her as much as he could within the claustrophobic confines of the ship for some reason and she knew that he was worried about the vision he had seen. They each took their share of manning the controls - one watching the ship as the other slept and at other times, the Jedi appeared to be meditating in his cabin while Mara carried out routine maintenance, loudly banging tools against the corridor bulkheads. He had offered his aid but had been brusquely declined. 'You're not being very nice to him,' her little voice chided. She ignored it.

Thankfully, Mara thought with a mixture of relief and regret, their time together would soon be over. In a little under two more days they would be close enough for Skywalker to contact his family. She would have to revert to real space shortly anyway to make some nav adjustments. She supposed she should let the Jedi know that they were entering real space so soon. She reached out to check on his wakefulness with an ease she might have found disturbing if she'd considered it. For once, he wasn't hiding in his cabin.

The sound of a lightsaber drew her to the cargo area not cluttered with Skywalker's pitiful belongings. Mara caught her breath. Dressed in nothing but a pair of exercise shorts, his legs and feet bare, the Jedi was executing a series of complicated manoeuvres, wielding the saber with a skill that she'd never witnessed in him before. He had sparred with her several times while she'd been on Dagobah but it had been nothing like this. This reminded her of the rigorous drill exercises her tutors had made her perform daily until her body became fit and strong, combined with the grace of a dancer. He'd been going easy on her and still beating her soundly. That was not a situation with which she was comfortable. Mara wondered why she'd had the actual nerve to think that she could beat him in a fight and she did not like to think that there were combat styles in which she was second best. Whatever happened between them she would make sure that Skywalker taught her how to use the lightsaber properly.

"Even the most skilled of us have weaknesses," Luke said, shutting down his weapon, correctly judging the expression on her face. "I told you once before that I can be beaten."

"What!" Her eyes narrowed dangerously at him.

Luke shrugged. "You did not shield your thoughts from me and also, your face gave you away. You have a competitive nature, Mara Jade. I would not access your mind without your permission. In some ways you are more skilled at using your abilities in that area than I am. Take communication, for instance. You can connect with others over vast distances. Much further than I can."

"I…I…forgot to shield," Mara said lamely, inwardly cursing herself. Her skills were growing lax. Palpatine had taught her how to shield from all but the strongest of Force users but since his death she'd encountered few and she'd grown careless. She'd been taught to dissemble and disguise herself in front of others so as to fool them. Even Vader had difficulty divining her thoughts but Skywalker could see through her more clearly than the thinnest sheet of transparisteel. "You've not asked me to do any more training," she mumbled, trying to fill the awkward silence that had sprung up between them. "I can do a lot in a couple of days."

"You told me that you had no desire to become a Jedi. Why should I waste my time and energy training you?"

The look Mara gave him was penetrating. He was definitely up to something. She could almost see the plans spinning and hatching inside his mind. "You are not the type of man to give up on someone, Skywalker."

Luke chuckled. "Possibly…possibly not."

"I think I know you quite well already," Mara stated confidently. "I have studied many reports about you."

"I think those were the wrong kind of reports," Luke quipped, the grin lighting his features making him seem very young. "Those imperials have got me all wrong. I'm a nice guy underneath the Jedi cloak."

Despite herself, her lips twitched. "I make my own judgements."

Luke shook his head, the smile fading. "I disagree," he said. It was all a web of Imperial lies and propaganda – he wasn't evil. "You believe all the lies about me and do not reach for the truth."

"You're still alive, aren't you?" Mara levelled a glare at him. "And I didn't say that I did not want to become a Jedi."

"Not in so many words," Luke countered neatly. "But that was the impression you gave me."

"Typical man." She shook her head, the red gold waves curling over her shoulders. "You don't listen, do you?"

"I think I got the message you intended to send," Luke said quietly. "Messages can be conveyed by other methods than words. My Jedi teachers taught me that my eyes can deceive me. If that is the case, then so can my ears. Some beings only hear what they want to hear and discount the rest. You do not like me or trust me and what I represent. If you search your feelings you will know the truth but you are not prepared to do that as changing your image of me would mean that you had to alter your opinions on virtually everything. You are afraid that your whole life is based on a lie."

"Yes," she said, surprising both herself and him with her honesty. "I am but…"

"I would be too if I were in your position," Luke murmured, knowing that this was the truth. "You served Palpatine honourably, believing in him. Why would he lie to you? Believe when I say that I do understand."

"I will take you to Byss," she stated firmly, ignoring his words. She was not ready to answer him…didn't know what to say. It was just too difficult to believe him about the facts of her master's death despite her growing doubts. Yet Skywalker hadn't shown himself to be a dishonest person while she'd been with him. Everything his sister and his friends had reported to her appeared to be true. They had also said that he was strong with the Force; they hadn't said that he was as powerful as Vader had been but he was. She could feel it. "I need to go there as much as you do, Skywalker. I need to find some solutions for myself."

"And the Jedi training?" Luke kept his voice and face impassive but inwardly he was beginning to feel real hope. She didn't like the fact that he had apparently given up on her and was finally questioning the Emperor's lies. She wasn't ready to admit it but she was beginning to use her brain properly with regards to Palpatine.

Mara looked haunted. "I…don't know," she whispered.

"Then I'll say no more about it," Luke assured her. "I understand your uncertainty. I would like to train you but it is a difficult life and only the most able and dedicated Force adepts would manage to last the training."

Mara drew herself up to her full height, her eyes flashing green fire as anger began to take hold. "Are you insinuating that I would not be capable?" she bit out, her whole body stiffening at the implied slur.

"No, not at all," Luke returned serenely, hoping that she didn't see through his subterfuge quite yet. She was highly intelligent and would not be fooled for long. Keeping himself calm and her off-balance was the only way he was going to get through to her. "Your sense in the Force shines brighter than anyone I've ever met apart from my sister and my Jedi masters but your inability to trust and control your anger against me would be a drawback." He moved into the centre of the cargo hold, readying his saber for another cadence and balancing himself lightly on the balls of his feet, all the time preparing himself for the explosion that appeared to be building inside the slender red-haired woman who stood clenching her fists mere feet away from him. "Mara…your ability to train is beyond question," he stated, fixing her in place with his vivid blue gaze. "Your readiness and desire is another matter entirely."

There had been a compliment in there, Mara decided, her anger cooling slightly. "Explain," she snapped.

"You are not ready to give up the life you have finally achieved for yourself with Karrde and his organisation to follow the Jedi path," Luke said simply, understanding in his voice. She'd been Palpatine's servant since she was a child and for several years after his death had led a precarious existence on the fringes of society. Finally she had a job which suited her talents, a measure of freedom to do what she wanted to do and generous payment for her efforts.

Just because Mara had strong Force ability did not mean that she wanted to become a Jedi immediately. It was no sinecure. The life was hard, lonely and dangerous. So why was _he_ doing it, Luke wondered slowly? He thought briefly of his father. The Force had run strong in Anakin Skywalker but it hadn't made him a good Jedi. He had been too emotional…too impatient, too easily lured by Palpatine and the dark side and so the rest of the galaxy and the Jedi had suffered the consequences.

If the Force favoured him, Mara would become a Jedi in time but the time was not now and Luke had to be patient. She had just regained her full strength in the Force. Ripping the natural Force inhibitor Palpatine had installed so abruptly from her mind had perhaps not been the best way to go about things but it had been the only chance he'd had at the time and something had told him that it had to be done then.

He could not let his desire to find and train new Jedi blind him to the possible pitfalls. As much as he wanted this for Mara Jade, she had to want it even more strongly and she was simply not ready to drop everything she had achieved with Karrde and his organisation. Oh, she wanted to learn the tricks to make her more efficient in her everyday life but she wasn't ready to make that all-important final commitment to the Jedi Order. Luke was ashamed that he had tried to push her into such a step. Mara wasn't the only one who needed to learn.

"Mara," he said softly. "This is not about me – it's about you. It has to be what you want. I _know_ what I want. You do not – not yet."

"I have obligations," she said, realising for the first time in her life that she really did have a choice. "My life has never been about what I want."

"I know that feeling," Luke murmured ruefully. "But things change."

"I like working for Karrde and I owe him my loyalty and some time. He gave me a job when I badly needed it but it was more than just a job – it was a chance to be someone with a purpose again. It would be difficult to be with the organisation and also train with you." Mara's gaze dropped to the lightsaber hanging at her waist.

"Yes, but if that was what you really wanted we could try to work around it. I'm sorry that I tried to push you into something before you were ready." He gave a weary sigh. "You are Force-strong and you can recognise that talent in others. You have a rare ability for communicating over vast distances. When you open naturally to the Force, your presence calls across the miles of space. That's one of the reasons I knew you were coming."

"Yes," she said slowly. "It was not a surprise to you." The Emperor had been able to call to her from anywhere in the galaxy. She'd always assumed that the power was his… Suppose _she_ was the one with that kind of power. The thought seemed almost disloyal.

"I cannot connect that easily with my own sister," Luke said quietly. "Yes, we can communicate but it's nothing like this – nothing so clear and immediate. Just when we're close or in trouble…"

"Oh." Mara didn't think there was anything else to say.

"Perhaps you can help with the search for the lost Jedi when you have the time. I would be most appreciative of any aid you can give me. I need all the help that I can get. You will be travelling for Karrde…could keep a sharp eye and ear out for anything that could lead to someone blessed with the gift of the Force."

Mara swallowed and nodded. "I can still take you to Byss," she said. "I've been there before and have some awareness of the territory. Don't ignore any help I may be able to give."

"I won't." His eyes gleamed with a mischievous twinkle. "I wasn't going to. This is going to need some careful planning. Free agent though I technically am, I would suspect that it may be some time before I can disappear on another trip."

Mara chuckled. "Ah yes, Leia and Solo. Not to mention Mon Mothma and all the other politicians wanting you to become the Republic's tame Jedi."

Luke sighed. "We both know that I cannot be that, Mara, and it could cause many problems if that was how I was perceived. I need to be just as available to those in what continues to be Imperially held space and worlds not yet affiliated with the New Republic. Not everyone will understand."

A chime sounded through the ship's com system. Mara glanced at her wrist chrono, her eyes widening. "Follow me, Skywalker." She crooked her finger and he meekly followed her along the corridor and into the cockpit. "We're reverting to real space for some minor nav changes in..." She held up her wrist chrono. "Five minutes. You should be able to contact Leia and speak to her and Solo in person."

"Mara…" Luke placed his hand on her arm. "What are we now?"

"I don't know what you mean," she stuttered, her eyes following the bare arm to his still bare chest. Her gaze dropped lower and then immediately snapped up to fasten upon Luke's face. "You need to get dressed."

"I feel a connection between us. I just wanted to know if you still want to kill me?"

Mara stared at him. "No," she whispered. "I should but I don't."

He exhaled softly. "Good." Luke took his courage in both hands and moved closer. Leia could wait a few more minutes – this could not. "Are we…friends?"

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Bastion – Imperial Headquarters**

It had been a long journey to the headquarters of the Imperial remnant located deep in the Sartinayan system where they'd retreated to after their final, humiliating defeat by the New Republic. In the beginning there had been a few bad tempered border skirmishes but, after the first treaty had been signed, there had been a wary peace as each side fought to rebuild and recover. Several treaties later things were stable if not exactly cordial.

With the excavation of the Jedi temple well under way, Folla had not wanted to be away from the Core. But it wasn't just that. Something was brewing within the Force itself and that worried her most of all. She knew that she could access the Force but wasn't strong enough without her master. She needed help and this was the most likely place to get it. There were still people here who sought power. Folla knew that with their aid she could deliver the power they craved. For this power she was prepared to sacrifice her anonymity.

"The Director will see you now, Doctor Rule."

"Thank you." Folla lifted a hand to her dark hair to check that her elegant chignon was still in place, smoothed the front of her dark blue tunic and got to her feet, ready to follow the black-suited soldier through the garrison's endless corridors of uniform grey. It was the one thing she didn't miss about the Imperials being in charge on Coruscant. They had no imagination when it came to style, colour and design. She walked into a large outer office, carpeted in grey with the Imperial logo woven into it in blue and containing four desks. Every Imperial garrison and office complex anywhere in the galaxy looked exactly the same. It would make archaeologists work rather easy in years to come - but not very exciting.

"Doctor Rule to see the Director, Sergeant Pieper," her escort announced to the director's chief assistant, a middle aged, square-jawed man with a severe haircut.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Gruber. That will be all for now." The man addressed as Sergeant Pieper dismissed the younger man without even looking at him, all his attention focused on Folla. "You are to go straight in." He pressed something on his computer screen and the door slid open.

Folla walked sedately into the huge lavishly decorated office. The imperial grey décor had vanished and in its place was understated but elegant luxury in muted golds and reds. As she moved forward, she paused, glancing into one of the display cases positioned artfully around the room. Her eyes widened as they spied an object in the case. It was a slender vase, fired to a deep dull red with delicate gold tracing around the base. That vase was incredibly rare and at least three thousand years old. Where had it been found? Folla was still an archaeologist.

"To the victor go the spoils," said a cold voice. "It came from the Emperor's private collection and was a personal gift to me. Folla! It is good to see you. I'm surprised you were able to get away right now."

Folla dragged her attention from the vase to the woman who lounged in an enormous black nerf-leather repulsor chair and took a deep breath. The chair's occupant hadn't changed – perhaps she had aged a little but one eye was still as blue as a cold day on Hoth and her other, a molten fiery red. "It wasn't easy, Director Isard."

"I'm sure your absence has been regretfully noted." The strange mismatched eyes fastened intently upon Folla. "Doctor Folla Rule, chief xenoarchaeologist at Coruscant University amongst other things," Ysanne Isard stated frostily. "You seem to have survived the changes on Coruscant with ease." Her words were mildly accusing. "It's been at least three or four years since we last met." She waved the other woman to a seat opposite her.

"I am an academic, Ysanne," Folla declared as she sat down. "Not a politician or a member of the military. Why wouldn't I survive?"

"Why indeed?" Isard said sardonically. "I have managed to keep track of some of your accomplishments over the past few years. I think 'Academic' is the least of your accomplishments."

Folla's carefully painted lips stretched into a mirthless smile. She could match Isard's verbal fencing easily. "I would expect nothing less from you. Compnor is still operational?"

"Of course. It is necessary to keep track of things even here."

"I am speaking to the real Ysanne Isard and not one of her clones?" Folla asked archly.

Ysanne Isard threw back her head and laughed, the sound grating. "Your humour hasn't changed, Folla, despite being in the pay of the New Republic."

"I merely work for them. They do not have my loyalty. It remains true." Folla's composure held. She could show no weakness in this room.

"Admirable sentiments indeed," Isard said approvingly. "The quest for power is still as strong."

"It takes one to recognise it in another." Folla refused to let her gaze flicker away from the mismatched eyes. "But my loyalty is to myself."

Isard relaxed into her chair as the opening skirmish faded away. "To return to the matter of my identity, Folla - that is rather a personal question."

Folla's dark eyes gleamed. "It had to be asked. You know I don't trust you."

"The feeling is mutual."

Suddenly a door Folla hadn't noticed at the side of the room opened and a tall stern-faced man walked in, dressed in a uniform Folla hadn't seen for some time. This man was a Grand Moff?

"You did not inform me that you had a visitor, Ysanne," he said mildly but Folla got the impression that there was veiled disapproval hidden within his words. "I suggest you introduce me."

Isard sat up straighter in her chair and glared at the interruption. She was obviously not pleased to see him. "Folla," she said, her voice icy cold. "This is Grand Moff Westol. He is the new head of the base on Bastion and governor of this sector."

Folla stood up and bowed her head in greeting. "Moff Westol," she murmured. It wasn't a name she recognised but his face did seem familiar. She had the impression that he knew exactly who she was and had known even before she set one foot inside Isard's office.

"Pieter," Isard drawled languidly, her voice at odds with the look in her eyes. "This is Doctor Folla Rule, the noted xenoarchaeologist from the University of Coruscant."

The moff bowed, his grey eyes like shrewd chips of duracrete. "I have heard of your name, Doctor Rule, but my wife did not tell me that you were expected on Bastion."

"Wife!" Folla blurted out in surprise. This was unexpected news. "You are married, Ysanne?"

Isard scowled. "Not one of my most successful endeavours."

"This is a recent event?" Folla asked curiously. Ysanne Isard had long courted power and was even rumoured to have been one of Emperor Palpatine's lovers. The Emperor was dead but it hadn't taken Isard long to attach herself to a possible successor. The relationship could be based on a twisted version of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer.

"The honeymoon period has long been over if that's what you are asking," Isard snapped bitterly.

Moff Westol bared his teeth in an imitation of a smile that did not reach his eyes. "I think our…arrangement has worked well for us with mutual benefits for all."

"Congratulations," Folla said carefully. She had the impression that the marriage was a stormy one. She felt the power shift in the room and rest with whom it really belonged. Grand Moff Westol was in charge and the newly titled Ysanne Isard-Westol did not like it. "I hope you'll both be very happy."

"Unlikely," Isard snorted.

The moff pulled up a repulsor chair and sat close to his wife which Folla could tell annoyed her. "So why are you here?" he asked. His grey eyes focussed intently on Folla. "It's rather out of your way."

"I have business in the area."

"But you didn't need to see my wife for your kind of business - or did you? We have bureaucrats in offices dealing with such requests."

"We are…old acquaintances," Folla said, a smile curving her lips. Isard had been quite the collector back when the Empire was at its height and it had definitely paid to be on her good side. "I thought she might do me a couple of favours."

"Like?" Westol murmured silkily.

"There are a couple of sites in this region of space that I want to research that have Jedi connections." Folla made herself relax in her chair. If Westol thought that he could intimidate her, he could think again. "It was my remit when the Emperor was still alive and it hasn't changed. I need permission to access them."

"Jedi…" He leant back in the repulsor chair. "Jedi…or Sith? Your loyalty to Emperor Palpatine, Doctor Rule – is it as strong as it was?"

"My loyalties have always been to myself and my career," Folla said smoothly.

Ysanne began to laugh softly. It was not pleasant. "I often wondered about you, Folla."

"In what way?"

"A woman making a successful career in what was, and still is, a man's world on Coruscant. You were the only female academic to head a department."

"I could say the same for you, Ysanne," Folla declared firmly. "But I never slept my way to power. My academic credentials are genuine."

"Ouch!" Isard chuckled mockingly. "I wasn't doing much in the way of sleeping." Her mismatched eyes gleamed.

Westol pulled out a data pad and punched in some codes, a sly look on his face as if he was about to enjoy playing with a cornered rodent. "I have data here that indicates you often played a different role for the Emperor – not just that of the favoured academic talent nurtured from an Imperial education."

"Really. What would that have been?" Folla showed no reaction whatsoever but inside she wondered exactly what information he held. No one should have known this."

The Moff's smile widened. "That you were one of a select group of agents answering only to the Emperor himself."

"Group!" Isard said sharply. "There were more of them?"

Westol shrugged and turned his head to stare at his wife. "I believe so. I have reliable information on the subject. I know you dealt, or rather, failed to deal with one of them when she became problematic – a woman by the name of Mara Jade. She disappeared from a locked cell right under your nose, Ysanne, and hasn't been heard of since. Well…not until a couple of months ago…"

"The red-head?" Isard's mouth dropped open in shock. "She's alive? You know where she is?"

"Rather careless of you to lose such an important resource, Ysanne," Westol drawled. "She could have worked for us instead of vanishing into thin air."

"She refused to talk," Isard muttered petulantly. "She may even have been a threat to Imperial security and stability. She knew secrets that someone in her position had no right to know. I arrested her and held her for questioning and she vanished into thin air. She had to have had inside aid."

"Security footage saw no evidence of that," Westol murmured.

"Mara Jade," mused Folla. The name was certainly familiar. "Another agent of the Empire?"

"Of the Emperor supposedly but it was never proved," Isard said sulkily. "Her cover was less exalted than yours. She posed as one of the court dancers and was quite accomplished at it too."

"I don't remember her," Folla murmured thoughtfully.

"I'm surprised that you don't. She had very distinctive red-gold hair and green eyes that she played up in a cheap decorative fashion. Not the best kind of operative if she's noticeable. She had an insufferable air of smug superiority about her. I certainly suspected her as a fake - possibly with anti-imperial ties."

Folla forced herself to relax. "I'm an archaeologist. I did not hang around the Imperial court unless it was for a funding dinner for the university. Why would I remember a mere court dancer?"

"Then her cover was effective," Westol mused thoughtfully. "Like you, Doctor Rule, Mara Jade was one of the _Emperor's Hands _– an agent recruited, trained and employed by Palpatine to carry out his most secret missions. Vader was too public a figure for what Palpatine wanted. Mara Jade was no fake, Ysanne."

"I'm an archaeologist," Folla said again. "I'm not some secret agent." The denial was automatic, her mind busy with possible excuses. "I'm currently investigating lost Jedi sites for the government of the New Republic and the University of Coruscant." This was not an ideal situation; her bargaining power was being compromised. She'd been prepared to divulge some information but it seemed the moff was way ahead of her.

"That's not what my information says," Westol said. "I am the governing moff in this sector and as such am privy to much of the top-secret information once held by the Emperor and those in the highest echelons of the Empire. Oh, your academic credentials are impressive and you may indeed be the galaxy's expert on the Jedi but your name is on this list. That marks you as an Imperial agent."

Isard's hands balled into fists, jealousy glittering in her eyes and showing in the tightness of her red-painted mouth. Mara Jade and her failure to cooperate had long rankled. She had not understood why Jade continued to enjoy the Emperor's favour for as long as she had. "That's why you succeeded the old professor, Folla,," she said accusingly. "You were able to pick up artefacts and treasures that the Emperor desired without your interest being noted as unusual and do little assassin type jobs for him on the side. Perhaps you even helped the old professor on his way."

Folla wondered for the first time if her undercover work might suddenly get easier if she confessed the truth. "I never knew any of the other agents and that is the truth, although I was one of the few to know that others existed," she confessed, her voice low and controlled. "It was easier that way. We reported only to the Emperor and his secrets were not ours to tell and no, I did not kill the old professor. He managed to do that much by himself."

"So you did work alone," the moff said. Westol passed Folla the data pad and her eyes widened at the words written there. It was a complete dossier on herself including the little known fact that she had some Force ability. Westol's lip curled sardonically. "I've suspected for some time that his majesty liked to surround himself with weak Force adepts."

Folla's dark eyes narrowed at the word 'weak'. It was an insult and intended to be taken as such. "I did work alone, although I was never so naïve as to think that I might be his only 'hand'. My Master said that I was special, picked for my particular gifts to serve him. I studied with the best tutors from the most prestigious universities in the galaxy until I was ready. I continue to serve him, even though he has gone."

"Are any of these other names familiar?" Westol enquired casually. "Cronal, Maarek Stele, Kogo Vess, Sheyvan? I could go on."

Folla shook her head. "No. Perhaps if I saw images…"

"The only beings with any Force strength would have been Lord Vader and members of the dark side elite," Westol stated. "All information points to them being one with the Force. The Emperor's Hands were trained to carry out jobs of a special nature. Yours was to search for and collect artefacts belonging to the Jedi or the Sith. Because of your ability you were able to identify what was real from the fake."

"I continue to do that. There are those in the New Republic that also want access to the legacy of the Jedi and I aim to stop them. The Jedi could ruin any plans of the Empire for taking back what is rightfully theirs."

"Why are you here now?" Westol asked with a sideways look at Isard.

"I told you already. I want access to the reputed Jedi sites on Dantooine and Muunilist. For that I need permission. You can grant me access."

"No, there's more than that," Isard deduced. "You didn't _have_ to come all this way and arrange to see me in person. As my husband said, you could have filed the appropriate form with the bureaucrats or sent someone else in your place. Dantooine and Muunilist were picked clean years ago."

"Despite what you think, I still want to access those sites." Folla took a deep breath. "I want to pledge my allegiance to the Imperial Remnant once more. I want to aid them in any way I can on Coruscant so that the Empire can rise and become again the glorious power that it once was." She rose to her feet and began to pace back and forth in front of a surprised Westol and Isard. "The Jedi must not rise again," she declared passionately. "Skywalker must be stopped."

"Skywalker!" Isard exclaimed. "I haven't heard that name for a long time. The pilot who destroyed the first Death Star, the New Republic's Jedi – _that_ Skywalker?" She looked at her husband. "Pieter?"

Westol shook his head. "My sources haven't heard anything about him for a long time either. He disappeared after the Bakuran incident – led the battle group that gave aid. Bakura seceded from the Empire and joined with the New Republic. That was just over three years ago and nothing's been heard of him since."

Folla clenched her fists. "There are rumours that he's dead but I don't believe that for one moment. Someone stole a box of artefacts from a library on Praesitlyn and I think it was Skywalker. He's out there biding his time and will return the galaxy to chaos. I am willing to play my part in stopping him."

Isard began to laugh again. "Times have moved on, Doctor Rule," she said with a sneer. "I would love to help you but I cannot. We cannot act against rumours. Have you actual proof of Skywalker's guilt in this theft? Did anyone see him?"

"No."

Westol's craggy face stiffened, his voice stern. "The Imperial Remnant is in no position to take up any sort of fight with the New Republic. In fact, there are moves afoot to have another definite treaty in place by next yearly rotation. Agricultural produce, I believe. I'm not giving away state secrets by telling you this. Preliminary talks have already been held."

"No!" Folla couldn't believe it.

"We cannot and will not cause more conflict. Even Ysanne can see it. She might not admit it but she's knows the state of things." He cast a dark look at the woman by his side. "Safeguarding our current territory and feeding the masses are our most important tasks right now. Our people have no stomach for another war."

"They must," Folla spat.

"No." Isard spoke, her voice cold. "Much as it galls me to say it, Pieter's right. We do not have the resources to take on the New Republic and I suspect they are in exactly the same condition."

"The Jedi are dangerous."

"Perhaps but they are not exactly a threat right now, are they? How many have you found in your travels as you search for relics? They once numbered tens of thousands – at my last count I had heard of precisely…one. Luke Skywalker. He cannot do much on his own."

"I think you are wrong about that. They will be a threat. I can promise you that."

Westol gave a short bark of laughter. "You sound so certain, Doctor. But I remember a time when the Jedi were regarded as the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. Perhaps they could be so again for us all."

Isard shook her head. "I'm not sure that I would go as far as trusting a Jedi, Pieter."

"Why not?"

"I don't even trust you." Isard smirked nastily at her husband.

Folla couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had been so sure that they would have helped her. Isard always had her own agenda and would probably have to get past the moff at some point. What was clear was that Isard was not yet ready to act. She hoped Westol was prepared to defend himself when the time came.

Westol flicked a switch on the desk. "Could we have an escort to return our guest to her ship?"

"Certainly Sir," answered the disembodied voice politely.

Westol stood up. "You may visit the sites after you submit the proper application forms but I will not have you admitted to this garrison again."

"I'm sorry, Folla," Isard said but she didn't look or sound at all sorry. "You will have to take on the Jedi by yourself."

"I will and one day you will regret not helping me," Folla said bitterly, realising she had made a mistake coming to these people. Defeat at the hands of the New Republic had turned them into narrow-minded cowards. "I could have been useful."

"Perhaps but I doubt it." Isard didn't say that they already now knew all that they needed to. A light flickered on Isard's desk and the door slid silently open. The same black-clad soldier stood waiting to escort her from their presence.

The door shut leaving the moff and his wife together.

"You almost considered it, didn't you?" Westol glanced at Isard, a shrewd glint in his grey eyes.

Isard smiled wolfishly. "_Almost_ but the time isn't right."

"The time will never be right," he said. "I would suggest that you inform me of any more such visits from ex-servants of Emperor Palpatine."

"Now why should I do that?" she asked archly. "You appear to find out about them without me telling you."

"I mean it, Ysanne."

"I know you do but I only married you. I never said that I would obey you. Folla's harmless. Mara Jade, I'm not so sure about."

Westol laughed. "Do you want to know what happened to her? You must be curious after Jade slipped through your grasping little hands."

Isard grimaced but gave in with a sigh. "Tell me."

Westol smiled. "She currently works for a galactic trader by the name of Talon Karrde."

"The smuggler?"

"Yes, that's him."

"So she's not gone all 'New Republic' on us like Doctor Rule."

"No. Talon Karrde prefers to stay neutral."

"Should we?"

"We'll leave her where she is...for now but you're wrong about Doctor Rule. She hasn't yet joined the New Republic...she wants the Empire back."

"No," Ysanne said thoughtfully. "She wants the Emperor."

"I think we should go out to dinner tonight – celebrate our anniversary."

"If you are paying," Isard murmured. "I didn't expect to stay married to you for as long as a whole month."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

17


	28. Chapter 28

**Out of the Shadows 28**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Rhea Jedi Knight for her encouragement and help with the title and for Michele and Tad for taking the time to read.

**_The Lucky Strike_ – Somewhere in hyperspace**

"Are we what?" Mara's green eyes locked with Luke's. What was the sith-spawned man on about now? He couldn't have actually said what he had – could he?

"Are we friends?" he repeated earnestly, drawing closer to her.

"No…yes…maybe," Mara muttered. "Friends usually have to have some sort of a history between them."

"But we have that," Luke persisted stubbornly. "We have a history." He had to make her see that they could be that way. "If we have nothing else we have that."

Mara made a face at him.

"Of course you saw me as the enemy…"

Their eyes held, messages they either did not understand or chose to ignore passing between them. She tried to summon up some of her long held antipathy for the Jedi…but there was none left. She had seen him as the enemy but she couldn't think of him like that any longer. Oh, she enjoyed teasing him and arguing with him, but she was beginning to realise that it was to keep him near. In place of her antipathy was the surprising feeling of desire that she'd tried to banish. What would it be like to be closer to him…to have the freedom to touch him?

Luke could feel his heart thumping loudly in his chest as a wave of longing swept through him. She was so beautiful. It took a moment for him to realise to his amazement that the feelings he could sense in the air were not just coming from him. Some of them were coming from Mara. His feelings of desire for the red-headed trader were not totally one sided. He almost gasped out loud. Mara felt something more complex for him than hostility and he couldn't exactly put a name to what he was feeling – not yet. It was too complicated – too confusing.

"_Liar," _the little voice taunted inside his head.

He hesitated. He wanted to step forward, reach out and touch her and perhaps, if he was more confident and experienced with women, he might have done exactly that. But Luke knew that this would be the wrong thing to do. Desire did not necessarily mean that you liked someone even though he knew that he liked Mara Jade very much indeed. In fact, the more he discovered about her, the more he wanted to know. But he wasn't certain that Mara would be happy to accompany him on this journey of discovery even though they had achieved a curious sort of truce. These strange emotions colouring the air around them could just be momentary impulses on both their parts and ones that could go very wrong.

They had been alone in each other's company for almost two months. Propinquity and solitude could play strange tricks on the mind. But she held a fascination for him that he'd never experienced before with anyone else.

The couple continued to stand staring at each other trying to read the secrets hidden in their eyes. Luke shivered suddenly.

"You're cold," Mara said quietly, noting the little raised bumps of flesh on his arm.

"I…I should go and get dressed," he agreed awkwardly. Staring down at his lack of clothing, his face flushed with embarrassment. "This is easier to move around in when I'm concentrating on my own saber technique." He glanced up at Mara and then flushed again.

Mara's eyes ran down over Luke's toned body, willing herself not to show a reaction. He was embarrassed at his undress? It was another facet to his character but he had nothing to be ashamed of. "Of course," she said, her voice matter-of-fact. "I, too, have garments I wear to exercise. Still, I think you should go and put on some clothes now. I would not expect Princess Leia Organa to accept holo messages from half-naked farm boys.

"What!" Luke blinked. "Oh…yeah."

Mara managed a grin and glanced at her wrist chrono. "We are about to revert to real space. You will be able to contact your sister once we do so. The holo net account Karrde has set up for his employees gives us access from this system to most places in the Core."

Luke quickly turned away, his face flushing, and returned five minutes later dressed in another one of his black Jedi outfits. He found Mara sitting in the pilot's chair speaking into the com as if nothing had happened between them. But nothing _had_ happened, so why did he feel as if something had? His Jedi abilities had given him the skills to discern emotions ricocheting around both him and the beautiful redhead and he'd never felt anything like that before. But then, most facets of his relationship with Mara Jade were certainly new to him.

He saw her stiffen as she registered his close presence but she did not turn and look at him. Things had, for the moment, returned to normal.

"Of course I'm fine, Karrde." Mara sighed with a mixture of fond exasperation and resignation. "Yes, I found him and I'm bringing him to Coruscant." She finally glanced at Luke over her shoulder and nodded towards the co-pilot's seat. "We're stopping to refuel on Commenor and then we'll be on Coruscant in less than a day. We're just entering the system." She swivelled around to check the navicomputer. "Have I contacted Solo and the Princess yet?" she echoed. "No!" She winked at Luke, who found it amusing and a little satisfying that she had started to treat him as a bit of a co-conspirator. He wondered if she was even aware of what she was doing. "I thought I'd let Jedi boy do it himself."

Luke sat down beside her and for the first time was able to hear the cultured voice of Talon Karrde. He had heard of the man, who had managed to stay neutral at the height of the war between the Empire and Alliance. The refined tones of his voice did not match the image of a smuggler but Luke knew that the eyes could deceive. Ben and Yoda had told him often enough. Even more than that, Luke knew Han Solo.

"Mara, I want you to collect a couple of data cards from one of the usual contacts." Karrde said briskly. "I'll let them know that you will be in the area. I was going to do it myself next time I was passing through but that will save me the trouble and I'll get the information much sooner. You can bring them with you to Myrkr."

"Okay," Mara acknowledged the unspoken request that she deliver her passenger and reconvene with Karrde's group as soon as possible. "The cantina next to the repair shops?" she queried carefully.

"That's it," Karrde affirmed briskly.

"Will do. If that is everything, Talon, I have a Jedi anxious to contact his sister and a landing cycle to begin."

Karrde chuckled. "Of course, Mara." He paused and raised his voice a little. "It will be good to finally meet you in person, Jedi Skywalker. Now that I know you _are_ still alive."

Luke lifted his head, startled at the comment being addressed to him. "Ahh…yeah. I am still alive."

"I know that now."

Luke did not need to see the man's face to hear the smirk in his voice. He was tempted to answer Karrde's humour with his own but decided to defend the woman by his side. "Mara is a very special individual, Mr Karrde and, yes, she has managed to restrain her more violent impulses." His mouth curved into a smile at the vibroshivs being shot at him from Mara's green eyes. "I'm sure she was tempted to return without me but I have it on good authority that I'm worth more to her alive than dead and I did volunteer to go with her willingly."

Karrde laughed. "We do have a business to run."

"Of course you do. It is easier to survive with a good supply of credits in your pocket." Luke decided that he liked Mara's boss. It was one of those instinctive things but he was rarely wrong about people. He had felt the good in his father when neither Yoda nor Obi-Wan believed that there had been anything left in his father's heart and impaired body but evil.

"I'll be in contact," Mara snapped, putting an end to Luke's comments. Why did men have to try and bond like this? It had to be something in their chromosomes. It was either bond or fight. Skywalker continued to act an opposite way to everything she had heard about him. He was supposed to be aloof and superior but he wasn't.

"I will expect to hear from you as soon as you reach Coruscant, Mara," Talon ordered.

"I told you that I would be in touch."

"I believe you but this time don't let two months pass before you contact me," Karrde reprimanded gently.

Mara rolled her eyes.

"Jedi Skywalker, I suspect your sister may be about to go off world…"

"Off world!" Luke exclaimed. "Where?"

"I do not know…yet. Don't worry," the smuggler chief said calmly. "She's not reported to be heading out towards the edges of the galaxy. The holo-press would be full of that sort of publicity. Her business is set to remain in the Core Worlds at present. Therefore the communicator on this ship should reach her wherever she is."

"Ah, thank you," Luke murmured, reassured that he would still be able to contact Leia. It would have been rather an anticlimax to return after his long absence and find no family to greet him. "You keep abreast of things."

"All part of the service, Jedi Skywalker," the smuggler replied.

Luke glanced quickly at Mara. "Of course, you are being well paid for your efforts," he murmured for her ears alone.

Mara scowled. "Karrde, we need to go now. Time is wearing on."

"Clear skies," her boss said calmly as Mara's finger stabbed at the control, severing the connection abruptly.

Luke moved to the navicomp and began checking their position prior to commencing the landing cycle. "He worries about you."

"Nonsense," Mara dismissed briskly. "He knows that I can take care of myself."

"Maybe so," Luke said. "But he still worries."

Mara sighed as she admitted softly, her hands busy at the controls of the ship, "I know he does. Karrde looks after his people."

"As he should. It is the mark of a good employer. I get the impression that he's a decent man."

"He's a smuggler, Skywalker – a businessman. Some of his activities are not what some beings might term 'legal' and he likes it that way. Don't go giving him qualities he does not possess."

"Not all employers look after their workers. He's still a good man," Luke stressed quietly. "I know a lot of good men who work on the shadier side of respectability, Mara. It doesn't make them any less honourable. One of them saved my life many times. I consider him closer than a brother."

Mara didn't need to be told who that was. She'd been grudgingly impressed with Han Solo from the moment she'd met him even if his attempts at humour fell short of actually being amusing.

"Karrde looking after his employees tells me a lot about the type of individual he is. He is a good man and from what you've said I realise he has tried to stay neutral because he wanted to stay alive and protect his people. One day, however, he will have to make a choice." This time Luke did not look at Mara as he re-checked the nav data.

"We all make choices," Mara said quietly. "Sometimes they're the right ones and at other times…very, very wrong."

Luke cleared his throat. "I can understand that," he said gruffly, thinking of some of his more spectacular failures. He could have enlightened her further but all he said was, "We'll be able to land in less than an hour."

"That's enough time for you to contact your sister."

Luke's face stilled as he thought of Leia. "Yes and no. It can never be enough, not when we've been apart for so long. But it should be suffice for now."

"I'll set up the holo emitters…"

"I won't use the holo this time; hearing her voice is wonderful, seeing her…" He turned his head and the expression on his face was wistful. "It's too much. Do you understand what I mean?"

Mara nodded. Strangely enough she did. She pulled out a drawer, scrabbled inside and pulled out a scrap of flimsy. "Here," she muttered, handing it to him. "This will connect you with Leia's private line on Coruscant. Their home connection," she stressed. "If she isn't there it will link to wherever she is."

"They have a…a home on Coruscant…Leia and Han?" Luke took a breath and punched in the code Mara had given him. His relief at hearing they were still together filled him. He could feel his heart beating with anticipation. There was a crackle and a hiss of static and….no answer. He could have cried with disappointment. An anticlimax right enough.

"Keep trying," Mara advised, sensing his disappointment. Her hand rested reassuringly on Luke's shoulder. "She's a busy woman."

"She must be off world…Karrde was right. She could be anywhere," Luke muttered despondently.

"It's possible but I don't recall her having anything long-term planned and Karrde's information is usually correct."

"You and Karrde were privy to the contents of her diary?" Luke asked sharply, the disappointment heavy in his gut.

"Of course not, but important people like your sister plan ahead and if they do, Karrde would know what those plans are," Mara said absently, staring at her hand where it rested on the Jedi's shoulder. She blinked - when did she do that - and moved it away. "He has sources of information that even Imperial Intelligence and the Bothan spynet can't top. The signal will be rerouted to wherever she is. It's a priority channel after all. That means it will get the message to her. She's a member of the New Republic ruling council and must stay in contact."

"But I wanted to speak to her in person…not leave a message." Luke glanced at his wrist chrono. "What's the time in Galactic City?"

"Early evening." Mara pointed to three dials set into the bulkhead above his head as she quashed Luke's hopes that Leia might just be asleep. The first chrono is set to Coruscant time, the second to Karrde's main base where he is currently stationed and the third is where we are now….approximately."

"That's a good idea."

"It's necessary. That way I don't wake up the wrong people. Clients are much more receptive to deals after a good nights sleep." She checked her co-ordinates once more. "We are approaching Commenor's atmosphere and should land in thirty minutes." She flicked a switch and then turned her head to look at the Jedi beside her. "Try her again before I begin the landing cycle."

Luke punched in the code once more, his hand shaking. "Nothing," he said. "Are you certain that this is the…?"

"Leia Organa." The soft alto voice was coloured with the cultured overtones of the royal court of Alderaan and Luke's breath caught in his throat. He could not find the words to answer. For three years he'd only heard her voice in his dreams.

"Who is this?" Leia said impatiently.

Luke closed his eyes and tried to reach for her presence but he was too anxious. "Leia," he murmured, his voice husky.

"Who is…" her voice faltered, "…this?"

"Leia, it's me." He didn't need to say it. He knew that she knew.

"Luke!"

He could hear her voice trembling, knew that her hands shook. "Yes," he managed to say past the lump that was wedged in his throat.

"Luke! Oh, Luke." He knew there were tears in her dark eyes without seeing her, because he felt the tears well up in his own.

"Where...? How soon? Are you…?" Her voice rose upwards.

He laughed gently at her incoherence, the sound travelling through the com and across the lightyears of space to the ears of the woman whose flickering image had started his whole life's adventure.

"I don't know what to say," she whispered.

He laughed again. "I don't believe that for a moment." Leia always knew what to say whereas he was usually unsure, the awkward words tumbling out of his mouth in his haste to say them before becoming silent once more. To render her speechless was a feat in itself.

Feeling very much like an intruder in this almost reunion, Mara slouched into her seat trying not to listen but it was impossible not to hear. The emotions she sensed coming from the man at her side made her feel things she'd never felt before. She wanted to belittle and ridicule the sentiments between Skywalker and his sister but she could not. Was this what love was? Could someone who felt like this for another being possibly be evil? Mara was quite certain that she knew the answer but it was another step forward for her to take and this time she could not retreat. There was no doubt at all in her mind that Skywalker loved his sister.

"We're approaching Commenor," Luke said.

"So close," Leia's voice said clearly as if she was standing next to him. "I was supposed to be travelling to Commenor tomorrow. If you hadn't contacted me today we could have passed without knowing. I cannot go there now…not when you are coming home to me. I must reorganise…"

Luke guessed that she'd reach for her data pad and her well worked out schedule. Winter would sigh and make a token protest but would take away the schedule and make it work another way. "Coincidence running our lives again, Leia, or perhaps it is the Force at work again? It would have been strange if we'd met in the spaceport." He still marvelled that they'd managed to find one another amongst the billions of beings in the galaxy. "We'll be stopping to refuel and then we'll be on our way. I'll be with you as soon as I can."

"Luke…"

"I'm fine, Leia." He grinned as he answered her unspoken question. "You?"

"Better than fine now that I've heard from you at last."

Luke could hear the joy in her voice. "You knew how it would be. I had to go but I will never leave you like this ever again."

"I hope that's a promise, Kid."

Luke closed his eyes, blinking away the moisture that was trying to gather there.

"I think there's someone else here that would like to speak to you."

"Put him on, Leia," Luke said softly. "Please."

Leia held out the com to the man sitting opposite her, the expression on his face was of hopeful disbelief. "Han."

"Kid!" Han's voice cracked. "Is it really you?"

"I think so. No one else would want to be Luke Skywalker so I think it must be me."

"It's him, Solo." Mara couldn't keep quiet any longer. "No one else could be this annoying and he matched the 'wanted holo' all Imperials were given out during the war."

Luke gave a howl of protest. "I've seen that holo. Couldn't they have got a better one? I was nineteen, for kriff's sake and I was going through a bad hair year."

"Still are," Mara griped.

"Ah, the lovely Mistress Jade," Han said dryly. "I hope she's kept that sweet disposition she's famous for."

"Can it, Solo," Mara snapped.

"Mara's a friend and I haven't noticed anything wrong with her disposition," Luke said, immediately, springing to her defence for the second time in less than an hour, even though Mara could and would look after herself. He ignored the startled glance that she sent him and concentrated on hearing the words of the man he thought of as a brother.

"So things have been cosy, huh?"

Luke sighed. "Han, please."

Mara shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She wasn't his friend. Things were better between them but… Mara Jade didn't have _friends. _She had colleagues and acquaintances. There was no one who knew her well enough…who understood her like… Oh, hell…Like _Skywalker _did.

"Where have you been, Kid?"

"Dagobah," Luke answered simply.

"So you _were_ there. Leia said that's where you'd be. You should have been home a long time ago," Han said darkly.

"I know."

"Chewie is mad at you," Han muttered.

"Oh," Luke said. "How mad?"

"Pulling the arms off of a Gundark kind of mad." Han couldn't keep the smile from his face. The Kid was finally coming home and they'd keep him there this time even if he had to strap him down.

"If he's going to stay _that_ mad then maybe I'd better not come home. I like my arms where they are. I don't have the full set as it is and I don't want to lose another one." There was a sudden awkward silence. "Are you still angry with me, Han?"

"No…yes…sometimes. How did you know I was…?" Han stopped. Luke knew him so well and of course he could tell if Han was angry. "I was mad at you because I didn't understand why you had to go. Sometimes I still don't until I get caught up in some of Leia's political wranglings and then I do understand. You should have talked to me about it, buddy. But everything's gonna be fine now. I'll tell Chewie to cancel the arm pulling."

"I appreciate it," Luke said, the smile on his face threatening to split his jaw. "He with the _Falcon_?"

"Where else would the old furball be?" Han chuckled softly. "Tell Jade…" Han stopped and swallowed. "Tell Jade…thanks. I owe her one."

"I will." Luke turned to stare at Mara and knew that she had heard.

Leia's voice came over the com once more. "I'm transmitting a priority clearance to you for when you arrive on Coruscant. It will get you straight past any customs and red tape without interference and get you straight to me."

"Mara," Luke said. "Expect a transmission."

The red-head nodded as lights flickered on the console. "I've got it."

"Leia," Luke murmured. "Keep my return quiet for now."

"But Luke…the New Republic Inner Council…your friends… They will all want to know."

"No, none of them – not yet," he said firmly.

"But security will pick up…" Leia protested. "Cracken will find out."

"Just you, Han and Chewie. Leia you mentioned the politicians before my friends. That's not the way that things work with me any more. Cracken isn't a politician but I can't trust him not to go blabbing."

"I understand this one even if I think you're being rather unrealistic," Han said dryly. "I'll explain it to her Highnessness for you and you leave the General to me."

"I just want a little time with my family before everything goes crazy and it will. They cannot manipulate me, Leia. I will not allow it to happen."

"They won't…"

"They will try and you know it."

He could hear his sister's sigh before she spoke. "I will do as you ask."

"Thank you."

"Hurry," Leia urged him.

"I will. We'll contact you again just before we arrive. I love you, Leia." Luke could feel the frozen lump in his chest begin to thaw. He hadn't realised he'd been like that since he'd left her. Home wasn't very far away.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

**Harnaidan City - Muunilist**

The sun disappeared over the horizon, leaving the sky at the in-between stage of day and night, the spectacular high towers and spires of the city casting massive shadows. Folla Rule climbed from the speeder and handed an Imperial credit stick over to the Muun guide who had taken her to the last known locations of all the Jedi sites.

The Muun's short-sighted eyes widened at the amount. "It is too much!" he exclaimed, his squeaky voice amplified by the pickup built into his robe.

"Nonsense," Folla replied, brushing a tendril of dark hair away from her face. "I was told that you were the most reputable guide in the area and the most knowledgeable on the lost history of the Jedi on Muunilist and Dantooine. I needed the best and I pay accordingly." She didn't think that the Muun would protest too much. Their greed was known throughout the galaxy. If there was one thing that the Muun species could do was amass wealth. She had paid him three times as much as he had asked for to ensure his discretion. "There is a good chance that I may return here in the near future and would require your services again."

The Muun bowed, his rail-thin body almost bending with the wind. "I thank you, Mistress," he murmured.

She glanced around her carefully. If she'd been followed there was no evidence but she'd made certain that her movements could all be traced. She needed to be visible to anyone who wanted to check her itinerary - until she'd got rid of the guide. The sites on Muunilist and Dantooine had been stripped of all their treasures very thoroughly long ago and all that was left was a faint taint in the air. But she'd gone through the motions of checking her detailed maps of the sites and collecting samples of the soil. It was possible with the layers in the Force shifting and folding that something new might have come to light – but nothing had.

Her lip curled disdainfully as she climbed back into the speeder. "I have your contact details."

"Yes, Mistress."

She nodded dismissively and watched as the alien walked away from her, heading for the nearest building. Waiting until her guide had disappeared from view, Folla gunned the speeder and joined the throng of traffic heading towards the High Port. It only took a moment to switch speeders and adopt the traditional covering dress of some of the Muun females. Her new destination contained one of the few human settlements on the planet.

The village was tiny but Folla knew it held one of the sleeper cells the Emperor had set up years ago. Within the perimeter fence of the hamlet lay the beginning of the Imperial resurgence and the rebirth of her master. Ysanne Isard and her short sighted Moff would regret that they had refused her help.

With a smile that merely bared her perfect white teeth, Folla began transmitting the code that would awaken much of the life within the grey walls she could see through her electrobinoculars. She was tired of waiting patiently while aliens and their grubby friends ruled in her master's place – tired of bureaucracy ruining the freedom she'd once had to travel the galaxy searching for artefacts. It was time things changed back to the way they once were.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

**Commenor**

The _Lore Seeker_ landed in the allotted landing bay with all the grace of its pilot and Kam Solusar had to admit that he was impressed.

"You handle the controls well," he said as the sound of the engines died away.

Tionne bristled at the compliment instead of being gratified. "It's my ship," she said tartly. "I should be able to manage the controls. I'm not the novice you keep taking me for, Jedi Solusar."

"I did not mean to insult you, Tionne."

"Then what did you mean?" she asked, fixing him in place with her pearly eyes.

"That you are a part of your ship and your flying is instinctive. It's a Force-given talent I would suspect." He was struck again by the loveliness of her strange eyes. One of her ancestors could not have been fully human and he thanked whoever it was for bequeathing her that particular beauty.

"Oh."

She unfastened her safety harness and stood up, stretching as she did so. Kam rose to join her and Tionne found that in the cramped confines of the _Lore Seeker's_ cockpit, they were closer than she had anticipated. Tionne raised her hands to move him away from her and found when she looked into his serious grey gaze that she didn't want to. There was something compelling about this haunted man.

This was a complication she had not foreseen when she'd agreed to take the tall, serious Jedi with her. She hadn't expected to begin falling in love with him. He was not ready to love anyone, let alone her. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to think of something appropriate to say.

"What is it?" Kam asked. Conscious of her small hands resting against his chest, he brought his own up to rest on her shoulders. "Tionne?"

She shook her head and stepped away. "It's nothing," she said and then changed her mind. Lifting her eyes to his, she smiled and said quietly, "You're a good man, Kam Solusar, and don't forget that. There aren't enough men in the galaxy like you. One day you will believe it."

Tionne wished that she could have been brave enough to smooth her fingers across his high cheekbones and curl against his shoulders, letting the weight of being alone lift away. She'd been alone for so long – ever since her grandmother's death. She could barely remember her parents.

Kam managed to smile back. He'd missed something there and wondered what it was but he had the idea that it was personal and he didn't want to pry. "Refuelling first?" he asked prosaically. "…and then something to eat."

"Finding a decent tapcaf shouldn't be too much of a problem," Tionne agreed thoughtfully. "I may just bring my instrument. Eating to music is always more pleasant."

"I would agree but as long as you manage to eat and don't spend all of the time playing and singing. Much as I enjoy your songs, Tionne, you need sustenance."

"Yes, but if I sing for my supper the sustenance often costs fewer credits."

"Wisdom is also prized amongst Jedi," Kam murmured softly.

"Not really," Tionne said grinning back at him. "Necessity."

"Is wisdom often born of necessity?"

"You do sound like what I imagine a Jedi would sound like sometimes," Tionne said, with a mischievous grin.

"Then I'm finally doing something right," Kam returned, his grey eyes twinkling.

Refuelling didn't take long and then they headed down the ramp towards the conglomeration of cantinas, repair shops and cheap flophouses. The spaceport was bustling and Kam drew closer to Tionne just in case she should come to harm. He couldn't explain the need he felt to protect her even though she could look after herself. A tingle ran through him and he stopped suddenly. Tionne turned around quickly when she no longer sensed that he was right beside her. She had felt him move closer as they'd joined the throng of people on the walkway.

"What is it?" she asked.

Kam had lifted his head and was gazing up into the cloudy sky as if it was sending him signals. "I feel…" He stopped. "No…it's coming from ahead of us…or is it?"

"You're not making any sense, Kam. What is it?"

"I don't know. But it feels like the Force has suddenly solidified and it's everywhere around me."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Kelt slouched into the swathe of grey material he was using as a cloak as he left the cheap tapcaf he'd been frequenting for meals to save on his credits. The food was filling if not exactly flavourful but he couldn't afford to complain. He lifted his hand and gingerly felt the discoloured area around his left eye. Someone had jumped him last night just outside the cantina where most of the best pilots congregated and tried to rob him. He managed a smile and winced as the pain still made itself felt. He'd fought as hard as he could, screaming and yelling to attract the maximum amount of attention possible. His grandmother had taught him well. He hadn't felt this stiff since the last time she'd been able to put him through a proper workout. None of the other boys in Osar had been put through self-defence and survival training by their grandmothers. They'd all attended the classes run by the local school. Kelt had attended those too, his grandmother had insisted upon it but he hadn't learned very much. Kelt knew that his training had been much more thorough.

Security had finally arrived to deal with the matter but his assailants had scarpered at the giveaway sound of the warning siren. There had been nothing that they could do.

Osarian had been a quiet world; people had known one another and such things didn't happen there. He flinched as the remembered agony of his family's fate played across his mind. No, he'd been wrong. Terrible things did happen on quiet backwater worlds. Not for the first time, he wished that he'd never left Osar, that his family was still alive and he could go to work at the factory in his routine, safe, boring job. But he wanted to make his grandmother proud of him. He was certain that she was in her right mind again and watching him. Only just last night he'd dreamed of her and it had seemed so real.

The walls of the room in the cheap flop-house were thinner than a sheet of flimsy and it was difficult to shut out the noises around him – some more disturbing than others. Something crawled across the floor at his feet and he'd chosen to ignore it, curling up on the bed and finally falling into a restless sleep. A couple of hours later a loud noise somewhere above woke him up and he'd lain in the darkness blinking until he'd sensed that he wasn't alone.

"Who's there?" he quavered. He normally considered himself made of much sterner stuff than this but a lot had happened to him over the last few months. It was then he realised that he couldn't have woken up, that he had to still be dreaming.

"_Kelt!"_

"_Grandmother?" _It was as if she was in the room with him but it wasn't the vague woman he'd known for the past few years. This was how she'd been when he'd been growing up; the once wizened figure was straighter, taller, her eyes clear and bright. But it had to be a dream because he could see right through her. She looked like a cheap hologram.

"_We have little time so listen well."_

"_Time?"_ He'd never had a dream like this one.

"Time_," _his grandmother said firmly. _"Neither of us are strong enough. I never was and you are untrained. Your strength will grow with the proper training. Let go your anger and your fear because it will do you no good."_

How did she know he felt such anger still? How did she know how scared he was? Simple, he told himself, he was dreaming.

"_This is no dream, Kelt. This is the only way I can speak to you and I hope that the little time we have is enough. You are a good person. Those that walk in darkness are drawn to such as you with a natural need to destroy and diminish."_ The transparent hand lifted and smoothed tenderly across the livid bruises on Kelt's face. _"You still have my lightsaber?"_

He nodded. "Yes."

"_Wear it, learn to use it and never give up."_

"How did…?"

"_I know you."_

"I miss…"

"_It wasn't a real love. If you'd stayed…perhaps in time...but you would have never been truly happy on Osar. You would always have sought something that she could never have given you. Jedi life is not for the weak-willed and I know you have the strength required. I never did – not really." _The image grew fainter.

"Grandmother…"

"_You must move on, Kelt. Trust in the Force and let it guide you always. I love you, Kelt."_

Her image faded and Kelt was left blinking into the empty room. A weak early daylight shone through the slatted blinds covering the windows and, more restless than he had ever been, he swung his legs from the bed and stood up. Somehow, his grandmother knew that he needed her. Whether his dream had been just that or something more he didn't know.

He came out of his memory and cast a quick glance about him, his hand closing around the cylindrical-shaped object he had taken from the bottom of his carryall and attached to the belt at his waist. He still didn't know how to use it but, in a pinch, it might just give him an extra element of surprise. All the Force ability in the world would do him no good if he was taken down before he had a chance and he wanted that chance. Getting off Commenor now seemed to be a priority.

None of the local pilots had been willing to transport him off world for less than what appeared to be the entire gross national expenditure of a moderately prosperous mid-rim world which he just didn't have. The only other option was to stow away on the first transport ship heading for the Core – if he could get close enough to one of them without having to spend a night in the gaol.

With a deep breath he stepped from the shadow of the doorway and made his way into the busy crowd of beings. That was when he heard the sound of rapid blaster fire. The crowd began to either run or join in. This could be the distraction he needed. His fingers felt for the switch on the hilt of the lightsaber…just in case.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

15


	29. Chapter 29

**Out of the Shadows 29**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Lena for her encouragement and for Michele and Tad for taking the time to read.

**Commenor – Spaceport**

"Skywalker! I'm going to collect Karrde's data." Mara Jade stood at the cockpit door. She'd changed to go out and was wearing another one of her form-fitting jumpsuits – this time in a dark red colour with a matching wrap slung around her shoulders.

"I never realised that red-heads could wear that colour," Luke mumbled after giving her a long comprehensive survey.

"My hair is not red," Mara retorted, slightly unsettled by the way he was staring. A memory of their almost-kiss flashed into her mind despite all her efforts to forget about it. What would it have been like if he'd…?

"No, I suppose it's not _truly_ red…it has strands of gold woven through it," he said thoughtfully. "It's beautiful," he added. "Like a sunset on Tatooine."

She gaped at him in surprise. What had he done with Luke Skywalker? This wasn't the way that he usually talked to her. He normally blushed and stammered awkwardly if her appearance was mentioned. "I can wear any colour I want to!" she exclaimed haughtily. "Sithspawned Jedi!"

The last two words were muttered vehemently under her breath but Luke heard them. "I just meant that you looked good," he muttered apologetically, his face colouring a little. "I've never been very good at saying the right things but the red suits…" He shrugged lightly. "You look good in anything…"

That was more like it, she thought as Luke dropped his head, staring at his fingers which had taken on some sort of fascination for him. The situation was now back to normal. He was a total enigma to her – so calm and confident – almost cocky at times. Yet there was a shy vulnerability and depths of pain only occasionally glimpsed within blue eyes darkened with memories. "Are you coming with me?" Mara interrupted, unnerved at what he was saying. It was okay for her to use her femininity to distract him but it suddenly struck Mara that the knife was being hidden in the other boot. He was using his Outer Rimworld charm on her. 'And it's working,' the little voice inside her head said mockingly.

Luke shook his head. "No. I'll just wait for you to come back."

"If you're sure?"

"I'm sure," he said.

A mischievous smile crossed her face. "Will you miss me, Skywalker?"

"You know that I will," Luke answered distractedly. "You're a part of me." He was feeling a tug on his senses – it was as if the Force was calling to him. There were things about to happen that he had to see. Patterns and layers in the Force were shifting in unexpected ways. "You always will be."

Mara opened her mouth to administer a stinging put-down and then found that she didn't know what to say. She wasn't part of him and he shouldn't be concerned with the way that she looked. It was a peculiar thing for Skywalker to say and the way that he'd said it... It was almost drawn from deep inside him. Part of him…indeed! She wasn't part of anyone. Mara was alone and that, she told herself, was how she liked it. The Jedi weren't supposed to be interested in things like personal appearance…but then she'd never known another Jedi so she'd nothing to cross-reference him with. Nor, she tried to tell herself, should she be so pleased with the compliment that he'd paid her.

"Be careful," Luke said.

"What!"

"Just that. Be careful."

"Do I need to be?" she asked and when there was no answer added, "I'm always careful." Her voice was brisk. Mara took a step away and then turned back to look at the Jedi still sitting in the co-pilot's chair, his head bowed and his eyes closed. Had he fallen asleep or worse, was he meditating?

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The spaceport was busy. It was the kind of place that never stopped moving even as the day slid reluctantly into night. Mara stood for a moment at the top of the ramp and sniffed the elusive fragrance of engine fumes and spilt fuel with something close to real appreciation, her ears adjusting to the grinding racket of starships launching and landing. If her memory served her right, she'd managed to dock pretty close to where she needed to go. A pile of ramshackle buildings across to her right accommodated bars, machine shops and cheap flop-houses. Running lightly down the ramp, she avoided a couple of droids manning an out of control speeder and headed towards a lop-sided sign which flashed the name of the bar – Spacer's Luck - in rainbow bright colours.

Mara found that the data pickup she had to do for Karrde was an easy one. She spotted the balding middle-aged man as soon as she entered the tapcaf. Despite its run-down appearance, the inside was surprisingly pleasant.

"Seth! Long time no see."

"Jade! Didn't realise that it was you on this run."

"I didn't realise it was to be me myself," Mara replied dryly. "If you understand what I'm saying."

"Yeah, I think I do. Karrde saw that you were in the right area and couldn't wait."

"You got it."

"I wouldn't linger too long," Seth remarked grimly as he handed over a small box which Mara assumed to be the data cards her boss wanted. "I've been speaking to some of the guys that are haulin' cargo around here on a regular basis. The natives and the spacers haven't been too friendly to one another recently. I'm sure it will settle down but it may take some time yet. This area where the cheap doss houses and bars are located seems to be some kinda flash point. 'Specially after dark."

"Why?"

"This area's been collectin' scum for some time. Corellia doesn't want them – the Dictat's been flexing their muscles again. No matter how good a Corellian pirate spacer is, he's still on the shady side of the law and that's something the Dictat can't control. They're thrown out of there and end up here. Possibly the new owner on Coruscant is making his presence felt…"

"The new owner?" Mara echoed. "Oh, of course. The government of the New Republic."

"Yeah, them. This spaceport has always been a good point for moving out to the Rim." Seth took a long draught of his lum. "But there's more riff-raff here than there normally is. Added to that there's word of a treaty between the New Republic and the Geloss. The Geloss are a strange lot."

"I had heard."

"The spaceport authorities have increased the landing fees and other taxes because they reckon that they will be getting an awful lot more business once the treaty is signed. Geloss isn't too far away and as yet it lacks resources. Their spaceport is so small that snub fighters would have a problem landing."

Mara wasn't surprised at Seth's knowledge. "I've never been there - Karrde doesn't like it - but I thought it was a haven for smuggling activities."

"The smugglers don't use the spaceport, Jade, and the right term is 'was'. Some of the New Republic – like the Mon Cal's - are not too keen on smugglers."

"Typical." Mara took a sip of her own drink and shuddered. "Why didn't you warn me about the lomin ale?"

"Why do you think I'm on the lum?" Seth took another swallow and smacked his lips appreciatively.

"You could have warned me," Mara muttered.

Seth grinned and placed his tankard down on the table with a loud clunk. "I gotta go." He pulled a gold-coloured pocket chrono on a chain from his pocket. "Stang! Would you look at the time? I've got a departure slot booked within the next hour. I've business in the Arkanis Sector."

"That's a long way from here."

"It's a long way from everywhere," Seth quipped. "Not exactly the centre of the galaxy."

Mara frowned. "Tatooine's in the Arkanis Sector, isn't it?" It wasn't a question she needed the answer for. The planet and one of its former inhabitants could be her special topic on one of the holonet's most famous quiz shows.

"Yeah! But I'm heading to Ryloth on this trip. I may stop off at Tatooine if I have time. The crystal goods market has really taken off. Some seriously high-quality items coming out of there. The kinda stuff people pay good credits for."

When it came to Tatooine, Mara could only think about Skywalker and sand. She supposed that 'quality' was the right word for him. She was starting to consider that he was certainly above the ordinary. She wasn't sure if she liked the way she'd changed her opinion of the blue-eyed Jedi. She wasn't thinking like the Emperor's hand any more, her once unshakeable loyalty to her dead master gone. Mara Jade did not like being wrong. She cleared her throat and returned her mind to what she currently did best - business. "If you are in that particular vicinity and the Twi'lek Clans are selling any weaponry, I'm quite sure Karrde would be more than willing to purchase."

"I'll keep that in mind." He winked at her. "Always happy to do business with Talon Karrde." Seth stood up and pulled on a bulky overcoat. "Clear skies, Jade."

"You too." She stiffened. "Do you hear that?" The normal inescapable spaceport noise had become louder and more intrusive into the dark coolness of the smoky bar. She could hear voices shouting and what could only be blaster fire.

"Yeah! I hear it."

All of a sudden, there was a loud crash and a young man came barrelling backwards through the tapcaf door, landing in a heap against a couple of chairs. With a shocked and embarrassed glance around him at the suddenly silent patrons, he picked himself up and limped carefully out of the door, his shaking hands fumbling for something attached to his waist.

Probably his blaster, Mara concluded. Stupid fool wouldn't last long by the look of him. "What was that all about?"

"Don't know. But it's happening all the time around here these days. The littlest thing sets them off. Poor kid, he looked dazed. Probably all he did wrong was look at someone the wrong way and bam! Some folks don't seem to need any excuse for a punch-up." He gave her a nod and took a step towards the door before changing his mind. "I think I'll take the back exit. I'm not in the mood to brawl today. Security will break it up eventually."

"Yeah!" Mara pushed her chair back and stood up. "I'd better get going too."

"Coming this way?" Seth pointed to the exit.

"The ship's in the other direction. I'll risk it – it's close. I'll be okay." She slid her sleeve up to reveal a wicked looking blaster in a wrist holster.

Seth looked sceptical and pointed to his more obvious hardware strapped against his pudgy thighs. "I'm never unprepared."

"Neither am I," Mara's voice was deadly but with obvious enjoyment. "This little beauty could take your head off and severely maim the rest of you."

Seth chuckled. "I would still wait."

Mara gave a wry grin. "Don't have time. The current cargo needs delivering fast and it won't keep."

"Have you tried refrigeration? I would have thought that Karrde had fitted his ships with all the top equipment necessary. You could just flash-freeze it."

"Now there's a thought," Mara said, grinning. "But it won't work with this one unfortunately. The cargo's live and extremely unpredictable."

"Then I won't keep you any longer and tell Karrde I'll be in touch. If I hear anything about those weapons you would like to test..."

"You'll inform Karrde." Mara nodded at him.

"You'll inform Karrde." Mara nodded at him. With a wink and a jaunty wave, Seth vanished through the densely-packed tables and disappeared out of the back door. Mara hoped that the fight hadn't progressed that far but the commotion outside the main entrance appeared to be getting louder. How bad could a spaceport brawl get? Shaking her head derisively at the bad judgement security were showing by letting the situation get so out of hand, she moved to the door and cautiously pulled it open, peering through the crack and gazing into what could have rivalled the famed battle on Hoth…if there had been snow and imperial walkers.

"Kreth!" she swore in frustration. She was trapped for the time being. Security should have waded in and got the whole thing locked down in minutes. She turned to head out the back way only to see Seth sidle sheepishly back into the tapcaf. He shook his head.

Okay, that way didn't look good either. She would have to make a run for it. She cracked open the door again and spotted a pile of packing crates stacked just metres away. If she could make it to there then she had less of a distance to get to the ship. The _Lucky Strike's _docking bay wasn't far away. If she squinted through the gap in the door she could almost make out the start of the cargo ramp.

Slipping from the tapcaf, Mara made it to the relative sanctuary of the crates in seconds but there was no way she was going any further and Mara, by now, just wanted to be gone from this dreary spaceport. With another muttered expletive, she flicked on her comlink. "Skywalker!"

"Mara?"

"You don't happen to have any amazing Jedi solutions for ending a battle?"

"Battle!" he echoed vaguely.

"Yes, a battle," she snapped, ducking down further as a stray blaster shot pinged inches above her head.

"I was watching an altercation," Luke murmured. "I told you to be careful. It's quite interesting."

"_Interesting!_" Mara shrieked. "I'll give you _interesting._ Let me spell it out to you in words you might just manage to understand. I'm on one side of the concourse, the ship is on the other and I need to get to the ship without being blown full of holes."

"I'll think about it," he assured her.

"Think quickly," she shouted, wincing as several innocent bystanders got drawn into the fight. Why did something like this happen every time she and Skywalker hit civilisation at the same point? She ignored the fact that the first time they hadn't been together and had merely bumped into one another – a coincidence that Skywalker claimed was the Force at work.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

After they had finished refuelling the ship, Kam and Tionne left to find somewhere suitable to procure a meal and perhaps some fresh provisions. Jedi senses on full alert, Kam pulled his hood over his greying hair. He felt uneasy – tensions were high and emotions fluctuated wildly in the air around the port.

Tionne clutched her instrument case tighter against her body. She too, felt the restless emotions whirling around her. Her grandmother had always said that Tionne was sensitive to the feelings of others around her but she'd thought she was just being kind to her granddaughter. What if this was the Force within Tionne at work. Her escort talked about listening to the Force and trusting its guidance. Perhaps it was time to begin. "Kam," she murmured softly. "I don't think it is a good idea after all to eat a meal in this place. Perhaps I do not need to earn extra credits here and we have enough provisions to see us to Coruscant."

"You sense it too?"

"It?"

"Whatever's in the air…change…conflict…"

"I feel uneasy," she confessed. "It's as if I'm playing a melody but the strings are untuned and the harmony is dissonant and my fingers stumble. Something here is discordant…the tune falters and the chords do not fit."

"That is your danger sense warning you." Kam slipped into the role he had decided to play with Tionne for the time being – that of teacher.

"Oh!"

"The Jedi are sensitive to emotional change and sensing danger can be a heightened ability amongst our kind. I am certain that this is a skill you possess." Kam looked at Tionne clutching the box containing her instrument to her and was concerned for her slender beauty. She was not trained to fight no matter how many times she protested that she could look after herself. He had been failing in his duties and should have been tutoring her in basic combat. He would rectify that omission as soon as he could. It was nothing more than his duty. "It can be useful to heed such warnings."

Tionne's eyes widened a little nervously. "Then I suggest we both heed that warning and return to my ship."

The angry sounds of the uproar ahead of them reached their ears. "A good idea." Kam turned, placed his arm around Tionne's shoulders and steered her back in the direction of the _Lore Seeker, _all the time keeping his senses on total alert. He knew unfriendly eyes were watching them. He would escort her back to the ship and then see if there was anything he could do to help stop the altercation. He was a Jedi and that was what they did…wasn't it?

Neither of them spotted the blue-eyed, black-clad young man watching them with interest from the top of the ramp of one of the more dilapidated looking tramp freighters lining the route back to the _Lore Seeker_.

Luke had felt the undeniable presence of a Force-strong individual as soon as he and Mara had landed on Commenor. The Force was all around him and Luke knew that there could be more than one being on any world that was strong in the Force but this was different. This signature was controlled which had to mean that he - it was a masculine presence - had power that wasn't raw and untapped. It had been harnessed and strengthened through training but there was a hint of darkness in its depths. This man had been touched by the dark side at one time. Whether he was still influenced by its treacherous and seductive depths was another thing altogether. Luke concentrated and searched for the good and found it shining strongly.

The man was tall and kept his features hidden under a black hooded cloak but there was no hiding his powerful presence in the Force. Luke tried a gentle probe and noted that the man had immediately stiffened and turned his head, seeking the source of the probe. This was interesting and Luke's first real proof, apart from Mara and Leia, that the Jedi were still alive in the universe. Only a Jedi would know that there was another Force sentient present – only a Jedi would have sensed Luke's probe.

His companion was another story. Luke could sense a pure and shining heart and a thirst to learn. She also had some Force potential but it was much weaker than her companion. Still, the ability was there and could be nurtured. A tiny thrill shot through him. This was really going to happen. She would and could make up in dedication what she lacked in ability.

But it wasn't yet time for him to act with regards to these potential recruits. Luke decided that he would watch for a little while longer and see how things unfolded. He had also sensed a third presence close by, one that was more familiar to him from an earlier vision. The Force presence of the young grief-stricken man, his story so similar to Luke's own, was close.

Yes, Luke had some important decisions to make very soon but he had learned many lessons during his isolation from the galaxy and would not rush into things. The Force would guide his actions and he would trust in that absolutely.

Kam whirled around, all his Jedi senses on full alert, balancing lightly on the balls of his feet as if he was ready to spring into action. His hand automatically went to the hilt of the lightsaber at his waist. Someone out there was watching him. But more than that, his keen ears picked up a familiar sound. Someone close by had ignited a lightsaber. Was it the same person that was watching him? Kam decided that it wasn't. He could sense two distinct presences and the energy raced through the layers of the Force hitting him in the chest with the impact of a blow. It made him feel alive again – he wasn't alone.

He checked to see how far they had to go to get back to the _Lore Seeker_ and he could just see her graceful shape ahead. A feeling of urgency came to him and he frowned. "Tionne, get back to the ship right now – you're close enough," he ordered abruptly. "I need to go and check out something."

"I'll come with…"

"No!" His grey eyes pleaded with her to do as he said and he gave a relieved sigh when she nodded.

"What is it?"

"I heard the sound of a lightsaber," he said. "It can't be…We're all dead. The Jedi are gone. I have to…" He rubbed a hand across his forehead.

"Then you must go. Take care," she whispered pressing his arm gently, then turned and ran towards her ship.

Kam immediately began to run in the direction of the noise and confusion. He sensed the being wielding the lightsaber was located in its centre.

Luke, too, noted the shifting layers in the Force and smiled. He wouldn't need to interfere…yet. Things were coming together as they should.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Mara rolled to the side as a stray shot whistled past her ear. "I should have stayed in the cantina even though the lum was horrible," she muttered. Now she was effectively trapped behind the pile of crates and she didn't fancy having to shoot her way clear. This fight was nothing to do with her and she didn't want to risk hurting some innocent bystander. Could this be Skywalker's influence? Across from Mara's location she could see the young man whose impromptu entrance into the tapcaf had silenced the patrons so effectively hiding behind a low wall, his face white and frightened. It was his next action which had Mara reaching for her blaster. The young man fumbled at his waist and she could see his fingers wrapped around some kind of silver cylinder.

"Vader's bones!" Mara swore. It had to be some type of detonator.

Taking a deep breath, Kelt began inching to his feet, an expression of fearful determination on his face, and raised his right hand…

"No!" Mara screamed, but her voice was lost in the noise and commotion of the fracas. Then she froze. It wasn't an explosive – it was something far rarer. She should have known. The man was holding a lightsaber and it was obvious that he didn't have a clue what to do with it or even how to hold it. He gripped it awkwardly, thumbed it on and dashed out into the fray.

"He's going to get himself killed," she moaned as she watched the silvery white blade act like a beacon. "And Skywalker wouldn't want that to happen – not if he's Force-strong. Blasted Jedi will want to train him." She was going to have to do something and quickly. Pulling out her comlink, she flipped it on.

"Skywalker! What the hell are you doing? Can't you feel what's happening out here? There's been a development that you in particular may find _interesting_."

"I know."

"You know?" Mara sighed. How could he know?

"I read the Force, Mara. That's how I know."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Someone had just set off a smoke grenade making it almost impossible for Kam to see where he was going but just ahead he spotted the glowing blade of the lightsaber. Who else had survived the Jedi purge? He skirted around the edge of the smoke and reached out to touch the other Jedi, sensing no darkness but perceiving fear and the erratic Force-sense of the wielder. Whoever it was, he was terrified and a complete novice. This one had no training but there was strength in him. How had he come to be in possession of a lightsaber?

"Let me through!" a voice shouted frantically. "I need to get out of here."

Kam watched worriedly as the blade flickered and wobbled as it shook in the young man's grasp. "Shut that off before you kill someone or, worse, yourself," he bellowed. His voice was hoarse with the strain of trying to make himself heard across the noise but someone in the throes of blind panic does not often listen to reason.

"Let me through! Please, I need to get out of here."

Kam swore loudly and reached out to grab his quarry.

"What!" Kelt suddenly felt an iron grip fasten around his upper arm, yanking him out of the line of fire. The saber fell from his trembling grasp, the shimmering blade cutting out. "No!" With a cry of panic Kelt tried to dive after the weapon as it rolled away from him. The smoke, noise and confusion were making his head ache. With a tug he tried to get away from the man gripping his arm. "Let go of me," he gritted between clenched teeth. "It was my grandmother's. She trusted me."

"Hang on." Without letting go of Kelt, Kam held out his other hand and the saber flew from the ground into it. "I've got it. Now, let's get out of here."

The smoke was thinning and, as he hustled Kelt away, out of the corner of his eye he spotted a red-haired young woman watching him from behind a set of packing crates with a shocked expression on her face. He didn't have time to react – she'd probably never seen a lightsaber before. Well, if Kam had his way, she and everyone else in the galaxy would soon see them regularly.

"Come on," he said to Kelt and continued to drag the struggling young man who was no match for Kam's Jedi enhanced strength.

It was like magic. The saber had flown from its position on the ground into this man's hand. It wasn't possible. "Let me go," he repeated.

"Later," he snapped.

Kam was mulling over the images he had just seen as he made his way to where the _Lore Seeker _was docked. The smoke had thinned for a moment and he'd seen this woman watching him. She'd stared at him with a strange look in her green eyes and as he sifted through the memory, he realised that the intent look in her eyes was not one of confusion but of recognition. She knew what a lightsaber was and also who he was? But that was impossible. No one could know what he was…what he had been. No one.

But as Kam sifted through his memories he wondered if he had recognised her from somewhere too, only he had no recollection of where. He saw her draped in dark green shimmersilk, emerald durindfire gems sparkling at her ears and against her smooth throat. The vision was a long way from her practical garb in a run-down area of Commenor's spaceport. One thing was inescapable even in the short time he'd seen her - she was Force-strong. Who was she?

With a muffled oath, he tightened his grip on Kelt's arm even more, trying to ignore the younger man's cry of pain, and flipped open his comlink with the other hand. "Tionne! We have to get out of here now. Start the pre-flight systems check. We could have problems and, oh, I'm bringing an extra passenger."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Luke tapped his chin thoughtfully and withdrew from the light trance he was in. He could still absorb what was happening and yet, be alert if any danger came his way. Leia had used to sigh and say that he and Han attracted danger far too easily for her peace of mind. What could he say but that it was a gift? No doubt Mara would be in contact again and soon.

The older, cloaked man had walked into the fight, located the source of the little Force explosion and removed him from the danger. Luke likened it to pockets of lava ready to burst. The younger man's sense had dampened down; he was more frightened now than anything else but he wasn't in any danger.

'_Go with him,' _Luke sent. _'He will do you no harm.'_ Whether or not the younger man was able to receive him Luke wasn't sure but he trusted the tall stranger to keep…_Kelt…_yes, that was his name…to keep Kelt safe. There was good in him.

Now to deal with his other Force charge. He stretched out with the Force seeking to pinpoint her location and winced. She didn't feel too happy. "Emperor's bones," he muttered and switched on his comlink again. She was not going to be happy with him at all and he thought he'd been doing so well. Perhaps it was time that he did something about this fracas.

"Skywalker!" Mara's disembodied voice screeched through the com. "What the hell have you been doing since I contacted you mere minutes ago?"

"Just people watching," he admitted. "And thinking."

"Well, stop doing that and help me get back to the ship. There's an all out fight going on or haven't you noticed and I'm on the wrong side of it. You'd better not have been meditating. Ow!"

"Mara?" Luke's pulse quickened with worry at the sudden silence.

There was a momentary silence and then her voice came through the comlink again. "I'm all right. A shot just grazed my shoulder."

"You're hurt!" Luke's voice rose worriedly, immediately reaching out for her presence within the Force. "Is it bad?"

"No, I'm fine. It's just a scratch…just a graze. I've had worse. There's no sign of any security. I just wondered if you could maybe give me some help in getting out of here...or would that be difficult?"

"Stay where you are," he entreated. "I'm on my way." He swiftly thumbed off his comlink. Mara had asked him for help! Luke galvanised himself into action. He reached out towards her again and realised that she was telling the truth – the injury _was_ a minor one. Still, he thought, maybe she was beginning to trust him after all. She was hurt and she needed him. The old rescue mania came flaring back into life. The Jedi of old had mediated in conflicts hadn't they? Luke took a deep breath and walked into the middle of the battle with his hands held up in front of him.

With a little Force-enhanced push, he batted away a couple of thugs that ran towards him waving blasters in a threatening fashion. "I have nothing against you," Luke said mildly and kept walking. "I suggest you return to your ships."

"We will return…"

Luke nodded and just hoped that he didn't get caught in the cross fire. He had the feeling that nobody knew why they were fighting. It was as if the negative energies of the dark side had come together and everyone was reacting to that. Most of his focus remained concentrated on Mara's location. He had to get to her.

Ducking back behind the crates, one hand over the shoulder wound, Mara closed her eyes in disbelief. By Vader's bones, what was Skywalker doing? She peered out from behind her impromptu shelter and wondered at the strange feeling in her gut when she couldn't see him. "But he was just there," she whispered reaching out to see if he'd been hit or worse.

She drew back suddenly as a shot pinged off the wall behind her missing her by inches. "Where is he?" she muttered. "Luke!"

"Looking for someone?"

Mara jerked around to face him, her blaster pointing into his chest. "You do that again, Skywalker and I will kill you. This…" she pressed the muzzle into Luke's chest, "…is not a toy."

Luke slid in behind the packing crates to join her. "So you keep saying and I'm sure it's a very fine weapon. But a lightsaber has more finesse."

"I left the lightsaber on board the ship," Mara said.

"You could have managed fine with the lightsaber but I understand that you are more confident with your blaster. Just be careful you are not tempted to use your weapon when it is not required."

"Not required!" Mara clenched her jaw in irritation. She'd been shot at for no apparent reason and he had decided that she didn't need to be able to defend herself properly.

"Besides, you don't really want to kill me."

"No?" Mara scowled. "The idea is extremely tempting and if you continue to push me, you will find that I mean what I say."

"You've said that before; pardon me if I have a hard time believing you." Luke bared his teeth in a semblance of a smile. "Didn't you just ask for my help?"

"Arrogant, insufferable…"

13


	30. Chapter 30

**Out of the Shadows 30**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Lena for her encouragement and for Michele and Tad for taking the time to read.

**Commenor – Spaceport**

Still dragging Kelt behind him, Kam strode away from the commotion towards the _Lore Seeker_. The younger man wasn't being particularly co-operative but much of the fight had drained from him. Still, it was testament to his courage that he continued to try to free himself.

"Let go of me," he said, twisting and jerking to wrench himself from Kam's grasp but the words and the actions lacked his earlier heat. He was tired and his spirit seemed to have sunk lower than during his worst times before he decided to leave Osarian.

"I mean you no harm," Kam said brusquely and kept walking, still pulling the younger man behind him.

"Doesn't seem like it," Kelt muttered childishly, wondering why he wasn't fighting harder to get free and why his feet appeared to be going in the same direction as his tall cloaked assailant. It was if they had a will other than his own.

Kam stopped abruptly, roughly bringing Kelt around to face him. "You want out of here, don't you?"

"What I want has nothing to do with you," Kelt growled. The stranger was correct, he did want to get away from Commenor but he wanted to choose when he was going to leave and with whom. His free hand went for his lightsaber but it wasn't there. The stranger had it fastened to his own belt. "What I want doesn't seem to happen any more."

"Get used to it." Kam's lips twisted into a wry smile while his free hand tapped Kelt's lightsaber. "That state of affairs will probably continue for most of the rest of your life, especially if you…" He cut off what he was going to say and gave Kelt a penetrating stare. "You want to know about the Jedi and you want to be able to use this."

How did he know that? Kelt's mouth dropped open in surprise and Kam again took the opportunity to start heading for Tionne's ship, his hand still wrapped tightly around the younger man's forearm. "What about the Jedi?" Kelt managed to say as he tried to control his wayward feet.

"We need to get out of here," Kam growled and then spoke into his comlink. "Tionne, open the access ramp." He reached the ramp and began to push Kelt towards the hatch and into the ship. "Come on."

Kelt looked as if he was going to argue but something in Kam's grey eyes seemed to make him back down and he walked hesitantly up the ramp and into the strange craft. His eyes widened at the sight of the large triangular sails boasted by the archaic starship. She was ready to leave. People still actually travelled in these?

As soon as Kam reached the top he ducked inside and slapped his hand over the door seal. The mechanism rolled into place with a sharp hiss leaving Kelt feeling trapped in the cramped and gloomy cargo area. This was a mistake, he decided, anxiety threatening to overwhelm him. But he did sense the tension in the stranger's tall frame lessening as they were cut off from the rest of the spaceport. As the taller man lifted his hands to throw back his hood, Kelt immediately lunged for his grandmother's lightsaber, his fumbling fingers managing by sheer luck to unhook it from Kam's belt.

"Careful with that!" Kam snapped. "You'll get hurt."

"It's you who'll get hurt," Kelt returned bravely. "I…I am a master." But the tremor in his voice gave him away. He knew by the mocking look on the stranger's face that he didn't believe him. He hadn't exactly instilled fear into the other man.

Kam snorted sardonically. "Not with a grip like that," he returned coolly. This was not a Jedi. Somehow this boy had acquired a lightsaber. He reached out with his senses and suddenly he could feel the faint humming of the Force in Kelt.

The sound of lightly running feet interrupted the glaring match as Tionne rushed into the cargo area. "Kam! Are you alright?" Her pearly eyes flicked around to land on Kelt's unhappy face. "Oh!"

"I told you I was bringing company but I'd be careful if I were you," Kam murmured dryly. "He has a lightsaber and is a master…apparently."

Tionne sighed. "He's a frightened young man and he doesn't know or trust us. Why should he?"

"I'm not frightened," Kelt declared, unhappy at being referred to as 'young' and 'afraid' – even if it was true. The woman sounded like his mother did while she was admonishing his father when he was being just a bit overbearing. A wave of pain swept through him at the thought of his parents.

Tionne straightened her shoulders, taking immediate stock of the situation and seeing more than either Kam or Kelt realised. Kam was worried about something but the boy didn't know that. He had no way of knowing about Kam's tortured history and she didn't think that her grey-haired companion was about to tell him any of it. It would definitely be the wrong thing to do. He looked scared enough to bolt and if Kam thought it important to bring him on board, then it was important that he stayed. "My name is Tionne," she said, holding out her hand graciously.

Kelt blinked. The social niceties Tionne was displaying interrupted his renewed ideas on how to escape this situation he found himself in. The manners his grandmother had drilled into him while his parents were at work came automatically to the fore and he grasped her hand bowing his head.

"Kam means no harm. He was just trying to help you."

Kelt still wasn't so certain of this as he quickly let go her hand. She…_Tionne_ seemed nice, with her pale pointed face, silvery hair and strange eyes and he could sense her apparent gentleness but he'd seen the holofilms where everything started nicely and then the evil arrived. It could all be a plot. He ignored the fact that the evil had already happened to him with the death of his family and he was alone. Things were as bad as they could possibly be.

"Kam!" Tionne's silvery hair whirled about her face as she spun around to look at him. "What exactly did you say to him? He looks as if he's been stunned or worse."

Kam hunched his shoulders defensively. "If he'd stayed out there waving the lightsaber around in that fashion for much longer, he'd have been more than stunned. In fact, he'd probably be dead already."

"You are not helping, Kam," Tionne chastised her companion sternly.

"He is unharmed," Kam ground out between clenched teeth.

Tionne moved closer, thankful that the lightsaber hadn't been ignited, assessing the younger man, instinctively looking beyond his appearance. "Put away your weapon. We mean you no harm," she said soothingly. He wasn't a boy, yet he had the awkward look of someone who had finished his physical growing but wasn't certain what he wanted to be or where he wanted to go. He also had the pinched, tight look of grief about his mouth and eyes. Life hadn't been too easy for this one lately.

Things, in Tionne's opinion, had been better since the Empire had collapsed but the New Republic was even now too busy coping with the aftermath of many years of Palpatine's destructive rule to concern themselves with the fate of countless innocents. Some people were always lost to the vagaries of fate. It looked as if their new 'friend' was one of those innocents.

Kam began to look properly at his new charge and recognised the familiar expression he wore like a piece of body armour. He'd displayed the exact same look as his family and friends had died around him and the dark side had claimed him for its own. He couldn't let that happen to this boy, but he didn't know what to do with him for all that he was strong with the Force. He had been unable to save himself from the descent into darkness.

He glanced at his wrist chrono. They needed to get off of Commenor quickly. The red-headed woman's stare was burning its message into his brain. _She knew who I was_, he thought, dread gnawing at his stomach. _How could she know? What would she do? Who would she tell_? He began to pace in the confined area like a caged rancor cub.

Tionne placed a gentle hand on Kelt's arm. "You already know who I am. My name is Tionne and this is Kam Solusar. What is your name?"

"Kelt," he muttered, looking down at his feet. The older man's restlessness was not making him feel any better.

"Hello, Kelt," she said calmly. Without taking her gaze from Kelt she spoke to the brooding Jedi behind her. He wasn't helping the situation by looming over the young man. "Kam, would you take care of lift off? The ship is ready to depart and I've already received clearance."

"If you are sure that you want me to do it?" Kam's words emerged as if they'd been dragged from him.

"I do," she said firmly and then smiled at Kelt. "I'm sure you must be hungry?"

Kelt, about to say 'no', was mortified when a loud rumble came from his stomach. "A little," he admitted with embarrassment, clutching at his midriff hoping that the action would silence the noise.

Tionne smile at the source of the noise. "I'll take that as a yes. Once we are away from here, I'll make us a meal. I find my taste for spending time in a dreary spaceport on Commenor has long gone." She flicked her gaze to Kam who was still watching them and then raised her eyebrows. "I'll look after Kelt, Kam," she said loudly. The Jedi had paused, his steady regard fixed on Tionne. "The ship is prepped and ready to depart." Kam grimaced but finally headed towards the cockpit leaving Kelt and Tionne alone in the compact crew area.

"Are you coming with us?" Tionne asked Kelt carefully. "You do have a choice, you know."

"Where are you going?" Kelt asked grudgingly.

"Coruscant."

"Coruscant," he echoed, a tiny thrill sweeping through him. They were going to the jewel of the Core Worlds? Everyone in the entire galaxy knew of Coruscant - a city planet covered almost entirely by buildings and very different from Osarian. He'd dreamed of going there, had imagined himself standing amongst its legendary spires. That was until he'd lost everything dear to him. He'd never thought he would actually go there. It had just been a dream.

But now, Coruscant was exactly the place he wanted to go to. He had to find the young Jedi his grandmother had spoken about and he suspected that Coruscant would be where he found him. He didn't know what the Jedi's name was or what he looked like or even if he was human but his grandmother's instructions had been specific.

'_Find the young Jedi, Kelt.'_

"Kam and I…" She stopped, unsure of how much to give away until she caught sight of the lightsaber now hanging at Kelt's waist. Of course, the lightsaber, she thought. "You are welcome to travel with us to Coruscant."

"I have little money to pay my passage," Kelt admitted. If they thought they could rob him they would be disappointed.

"I think we can work something out." Tionne wondered if Kelt had any Jedi stories he could pass on. That was worth far more than credits to her. But even she could tell that he didn't know what to do with the lightsaber.

"He doesn't like me," Kelt muttered sullenly.

"That's not true. You do not know one another. He's a hard man to get to know, I admit, and he's not quite acting like himself. He's normally very quiet, even gentle…" She nibbled at her lip, thinking. "I suspect that it would be worth your while in persevering. He could teach you many things when you are not acting like a child."

"Teach me…?" Kelt's ire had risen at being compared to a child but he supposed that she was correct.

"You can feel the Force, can you not?" Tionne's voice was cool. "And you want to learn about it?"

Kam's disembodied voice rang through the speakers. "Strap yourselves in."

"It's your choice, Kelt, but you must make it now. You have just met one of the only beings in the galaxy who could possibly help you. Do you know how fortunate that is for you – how lucky?"

Kelt shook his head. "Who is he?"

"He will tell you himself," she said. "As I said, you have stumbled across the one man that could help you but it's your choice. Stay or leave?"

She talked about the Force as if it was a normal everyday event but Kelt knew that this was not usual. Mention of the Force and the Jedi could lead to imprisonment and death. "I'll stay," he conceded reluctantly. He had the feeling that a voice in the back of his head was telling him to remain with the strange couple. It was too late to say that he had a whole tribe of friends and family waiting for him in one of the cantinas near the workshops and he did want to go to Coruscant. He had the feeling that Tionne's pearly eyes would just gaze at him pityingly if he decided to leave, somehow knowing that he was not telling the truth.

"The crew area is this way," Tionne told him, relaxing the breath she was holding. "Come on. You'll need to strap yourself in for takeoff."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

She stood silently at the cockpit door for a few moments just watching as Kam's slender, capable fingers performed the final tasks readying the ship for departure.

"He's staying then?" Kam pulled the lever and Tionne's graceful ship rose into the air.

"He doesn't know what else to do." Tionne sat in the co-pilot's chair and observed the planet diminishing as they sped away.

"Even non-Force sentients could guess that he's lost," Kam said shortly.

"What is it, Kam?" Tionne asked quietly. Something was definitely bothering him. She'd heard the sharpness of disquiet in his voice.

"It's nothing," he said.

"I don't think so." Tionne placed her hand on Kam's arm and found it tense, the muscles bunched and tight. "What happened out there? Why are you so worried about him?"

"It's not just the boy." He flicked his eyes to hers and then immediately looked away. "I'm worried for all of us. There was a woman…I recognised her."

Tionne pushed down the irrational feeling of disappointment. She'd foolishly begun to think of Kam as…hers. "Recognised her! Who was she?"

Kam let out a deep sigh. "I can't remember. I've seen her before too. I know I have but I cannot remember where. She's very…distinctive. Red hair and green eyes. Where have I…" His fingers clenched, the skin over his knuckles white and taut. "If I could only remember."

"Perhaps you were mistaken."

Kam shook his head. "No. She doesn't have the kind of face that you forget about."

Tionne's breath felt tight in her chest. "Then you know her…know who she is."

"No, I do not but I feel that I should."

"So she recognised you and you recognised her…or so you think. She did nothing. In any case, what could she do?" Tionne felt relieved despite Kam's obvious unease. It wasn't a former lover – not that she had any right to think of Kam Solusar as hers. "It could be worse."

"It could be," he agreed reluctantly. "But…"

"But what?" Tionne wanted to shake him. This had obviously disturbed him in some way and she only wanted to help him. He'd become very important to her in a very short time. She calmed her voice and said gently, "Tell me."

Kam exhaled loudly. "It was only a momentary glimpse but it felt much longer than that. It was as if time stood still. But the most worrying thing is that I'm certain that she blocked me. That's what makes me uneasy."

"I don't understand."

"She _blocked_ me…using the Force. Reaching out with the Force to others is as natural to me as breathing. I don't often feel it coming back at me. Not since the dark times began."

Tionne looked startled. "Oh!" She sought to think rationally. "You did say that the Force was all around us. Are you certain that she blocked you? I thought you would have to be really strong to do that. Perhaps it was an automatic reaction, one that she had no knowledge about."

"I don't know how strong she is. I didn't wait long enough to gauge how strong her ability was but her use of the Force was a conscious one."

"Which means what?" Tionne kept pushing.

"That she must have had some training. She was aware of what she was doing."

Tionne finally understood. "Ah, I see. Training could either have been good or bad."

"Most likely dark," he said bitterly. "I don't like this."

"She could have been a member of the old order," Tionne argued.

"She's far too young, barely older than the boy."

"Well, Skywalker could have…"

"Skywalker's not around, Tionne," he snapped, frustrated at his inability to remember the identity of the redhead. She was powerful – he'd sensed her probing him. Where had he seen her before? "Do you see the Rebellion's hero anywhere? He's been missing for over three years and many presume that he's dead."

"But you don't think that."

Kam's thin shoulders slumped wearily. "I don't know what to think anymore."

"Skywalker's not dead. You told me that he wasn't."

"It's not a certainty but I believe that I would have felt his death," Kam whispered. "I would have _known _that someone that powerful had become one with the Force. We felt his rise in the shifting layers and then nothing. He's too strong to just disappear like that."

"Trust in the Force, Kam." Tionne sent him a sly glance from mischievous pearly eyes.

A sudden surprised grin ghosted around the edges of Kam's mouth. "I'm beginning to wonder who the trained Jedi around here is - you or me. I must thank the Force for directing my stumbling steps towards you. It's one of the best things that has happened to me in many a long year."

"Thank you." Tionne blushed lightly. "I'm only doing what anyone should do. You have to think reasonably about this and the answer will come to you. Don't automatically assume that this woman is evil. Who could train this woman if Skywalker did not? Darth Vader and the Emperor are gone."

"Yes, they _are_ gone but she could have been one of their spies. It's only been four years, not forty, since their death. The Emperor did identify some gifted Force users, spared their lives and partially trained them. She could have been one of them, surviving Palpatine's death."

"Then she's in the same situation you are. If she has lost someone who told her what to do…"

"It's not so easy just to forget, Tionne. After the death of my father, I spiralled into darkness consumed with bitterness and thoughts of revenge. I was perfect material for moulding into an agent of the Sith and the corruption consumed me. I became an unwilling but loyal member of Palpatine's Dark Side Elite, serving his evil. We were all trained in the Jedi arts – me by my father originally but Palpatine finished my training. It was my own fault that I ended up the way that I did."

"Stop blaming yourself," Tionne said sharply. Kam was a good man. Why did he persist in punishing himself? She had to make him see that he had changed. "You broke away from the Emperor and renounced the darkness. My studies suggest that this is very rare. Besides, there could be more Jedi out there in hiding until it is safe and they will need your expertise. You have to get rid of your doubts for their sakes as well as your own."

"We can hope." But Kam's voice didn't sound as if he had much hope of that happening. "Darth Vader had an almost uncanny knack of finding supposedly lost Jedi and many were killed in the years after the Clone Wars. It was as if he was driven to finish the Jedi forever. But you are right. We must not give up hope that some survived."

"Yes."

"Palpatine's death wasn't kept a secret," Kam gritted between his teeth. "Why wait nearly four years to make an appearance?"

"Perhaps she didn't know that it was safe. Maybe she didn't wait and has been working to earn her keep like the rest of us," she said softly. "I don't know the answers."

"Neither do I," Kam admitted. "It would make my life an awful lot easier if I did. I must meditate on it."

"If you say that Skywalker's alive then I believe you."

A warm feeling swept through him. "Thank you. In my opinion, the New Republic didn't look for him nearly hard enough. It was as if he disappeared with their blessing."

"Maybe he did." Tionne checked the navacomp readings and then slid from her chair. "Coruscant?"

"Coruscant," Kam echoed. "If you want to speak to Princess Leia Organa then that is where we will have to go."

"It will all work out. I need to go and check on Kelt." She gave a wry grin. "I don't think he's a very trusting soul."

Kam's grey eyes darkened. "I think once upon a time he was."

"Yes, you're probably right. I'll call you when I've finished making the meal."

Kam sighed again. "What am I going to do with him?"

"Speak to him and perhaps teach him some things. What the Force is and how to use his lightsaber, for example."

"Good idea," Kam muttered darkly. "For the sake of all our lives. He'll do more harm than good if he continues to run around waving that lightsaber without the first idea of how to use it."

Tionne patted him on the shoulder affectionately. "You felt the instinctive urge to protect someone who needed looking after, Kam. I told you that you were a good man. You have found a calling and Kelt could be the start of what you need to do to forgive both yourself and the Force.

"How can I forgive the Force?" Kam asked. "It is both light and dark."

"Exactly. It is within you and always will be regardless of the choices you make. It is your choices that define what you are and could become."

He opened his mouth to argue and then decided that she was right. His thoughtful grey gaze continued to stare in the direction she had taken. His father had loved his mother and they had married despite it not being usual for the Jedi. He was beginning to associate Tionne with the strong emotions he had once felt around his father and his mother.

Could he forgive himself and could he learn to love again?

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Kelt waited in the crew quarters, still strapped into his chair, not able to relax yet. He was alive, that much was true but he continued to wait for the vibroaxe to drop. The strange couple could even now sell him into slavery or do something much worse to him.

He picked up his grandmother's lightsaber and ran his hand gently over the hilt. It had been several months now and he still couldn't believe that Kehta had gone. He knew one thing – she had died to protect him. His parents hadn't had a chance. They'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time. 'But it had been their _home,'_ his mind screamed at him. They should have been safe there.

His thoughts turned to the tall man…Kam. He could safely say that he'd never met anyone like him. He'd actually talked about the Jedi. No one talked openly about the Jedi in his experience. His grandmother had been the only one who had even mentioned them in his presence. His father had known, he thought. His father had known and had been afraid. He'd been right to be afraid.

After undoing the safety restraints, he wriggled his shoulder and flexed his arms feeling discomfort where Kam's strong fingers had gripped him. He'd probably be bruised tomorrow. But Kam hadn't threatened Kelt with weapons or violence. He could have had a blaster digging between his shoulder blades but he had not. There was a weapon hanging from his belt and it had been cylindrical in shape rather like his grandmother's…

Kelt froze, his mouth dropping open as his brain finally registered what Tionne had been telling him and what his own eyes had actually seen. Kam had done more than talk about the Jedi. When he'd dragged Kelt back to his ship he'd been wearing a lightsaber.

Was Kam Solusar a Jedi – a real one? He wasn't sure what a real Jedi would look like. His grandmother had been different from any other being living in Osar but he'd found it hard to believe that the tiny, shrivelled person had been a Jedi. For the first time since he'd left Osarian, Kelt felt excitement not borne of fear tingling through his veins. The tall grey-haired man had an air of an indefinable something. It reminded him of the feeling he'd had around his grandmother but this was much stronger.

His stomach rumbled again and Kelt tried to remember the last time he'd eaten anything decent. He stared around at his surroundings. The ship was an ancient sail yacht and looked decades old, yet was beautifully kept, the polished wood trim shining. There was none of the clutter normally found on a working ship. He could almost feel Tionne's love for her…home around him.

"Kelt!" Tionne appeared at the door and stood smiling at him. "I'll show you to your cabin. It's very small but it's not often I have company. I'm in here and Kam is across the corridor. You may have this one. I'm sorry it's so cramped but the _Lore Seeker_ is not built to carry very many."

He stared in at the tiny space. It was basic but spotlessly clean. "This is lovely, thank you." He remembered his manners.

"Come," she said." I was just about to start the meal." She ushered him towards a small table in the crew area. "We're heading for Coruscant."

"That's good," he muttered.

"We'll be there by early tomorrow. Do you have family there?"

Kelt's face whitened and he shook his head. "No, no family."

Tionne gave him a piercing stare which seemed to cut right through him. "They're dead…aren't they?"

"How?"

"I can sense your pain." It was true, she thought. She could sense the young man's sadness almost like a coloured aura. "The pain will lessen with time."

Kelt's voice was raw. "All of them are gone, my mother, my father and my grandmother. I know the pain will pass one day. Sometimes I forget and then, when I remember, I feel guilty for still being alive. But I don't want to forget them."

"You won't and you shouldn't feel guilty about living. Your family would not want you to brood on things that you cannot change," Tionne murmured soothingly, placing a bowl of steaming stew in front of him. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'll listen," she offered.

"Thank you," he replied. Even the counsellors on Osar hadn't wanted to listen but Tionne's offer felt genuine.

"It is a difficult thing to leave your home."

"Commenor was not my home," he said. "I left Osarian and came here after my family died."

"Osarian," Tionne echoed. "Mid Rim?"

He nodded. "It was such a quiet place. Nothing ever happened in the town where I lived - not until…" Kelt took a steadying breath.

"It's alright, Kelt." Tionne could see and feel the anguish rolling in waves towards her. She was no psychologist but he needed to talk about what had happened and soon. "You don't have to say anything more just now but if you need to talk... I will listen." She pointed at his bowl. "It will get cold."

"Kam!" she called softly. "Food."

She watched as he hesitated. "Go on…eat."

Kelt took several rapid spoonfuls, shovelling the food into his mouth as if he hadn't seen any for days.

"Do you want some more?" Tionne asked with a smile. "There is plenty."

Kelt gave Kam a wary look as he entered the crew area and slid into the seat opposite. "Please," he said, his gaze fixed on his plate.

Tionne sent Kam a warning look as she placed his bowl in front of him but the Jedi made no move to pick up his spoon. "Where did you acquire your lightsaber?" Kam asked gruffly, suspicion shining in his eyes.

Kelt traced the hilt of the weapon hanging at his waist with a careful finger. His grandmother had kept her former life a complete secret and may have died because of what she had once been. It was tempting to tell Kam to mind his own business but the man also wore a lightsaber.

"Can't we leave this until after we've eaten?" Tionne asked plaintively.

Kam let his own lightsaber fly into his hand and watched with mild amusement as Kelt paled. He placed it carefully on the table between them. "I also have a lightsaber. This once belonged to my father."

"Kam!" Tionne muttered, indicating the bowl in front of him. "Eat!"

Kam scowled like a small boy but did as she asked, his grey gaze occasionally flicking towards Kelt and then Tionne. Kelt could somehow sense that Kam was looking to Tionne for some sort of approval.

It would be a relief to tell someone, Kelt thought. He just hoped he was telling the right one. Clearly, Tionne would listen to his story without judging him. He finished his meal and thankfully grabbed the mug of caf Tionne pushed in his direction. He took a welcome sip of the dark brew, let as much of his tension go as he could and decided to let his feelings guide him in this matter. They were quietly telling him that now was the time to tell the story. "My grandmother gave me the lightsaber," he said quietly. "I never knew that she owned one. She kept everything hidden and never told us anything. She was different from the other beings in the town but I never thought that she had been a Jedi."

"Are you sure she was a Jedi?"

"I think so…the things she said and the way that she said them. She knew things that others could not. Sometimes I think she saw things before they even happened. The people in our area of town came to her if they were sick. She didn't charge as much as the doctors did."

"A healer?" Kam wondered.

"I don't know."

"Healers are rare amongst the Jedi."

"Are they strong with the Force?" Kelt asked.

"They are powerful."

"Because she said that she wasn't very strong and that was why she hadn't been found."

"She could have been attached to a healer. Perhaps she was an apprentice."

"I'm sorry, I just don't know," Kelt admitted.

"How did your family die?" Tionne asked carefully.

"They were attacked – a random killing, the notary said. But my grandmother knew that it was going to happen. Like I said, she could see things. My father didn't like when that happened. He said that it was creepy. She'd not spoken anything that anyone understood for months but just minutes before the figure in black came…"

"Figure in black!" Kam echoed, startled. "With a mask?"

"You make it sound as if Darth Vader himself visited my house," Kelt muttered. "I know what he looks like. He was always on the holo news. No, it was someone clad head to toe in black. Like one of those assassins from the holodramas."

"How long ago did this happen?" Tionne wondered.

"A few months ago. I've been working my way across the galaxy ever since I left Osarian."

Kam sat up straighter. "You said that your grandmother knew what was coming."

"She did. It was strange to hear her speak so clearly because her mind had been gone for many years but suddenly she knew me, spoke to me and warned me. She gave me her lightsaber and told my parents and me that danger was coming. She was right – it did come and now they are all dead. She was old and her mind was gone – she wasn't a threat to anyone." He lifted his head and for the first time his eyes met Kam's. "We didn't believe her even though I felt uneasy. Something in the air didn't feel right to me but I dismissed it. I went out to the barn to examine the lightsaber. When I returned it was too late."

Tionne pressed a comforting hand upon Kelt's shoulder. "It must have been hard for you."

"It was…it still is."

"The loss of family is always hard to bear; both Tionne and I have lost loved ones in less than pleasant circumstances. If I may give you a piece of advice, Kelt? Don't let your anger fester into vengeance. It does no one any good and will ultimately fail."

Kelt nodded, amazed at how easily he had divulged his family's tragedy. But it was a relief to get it off his chest and to people who appeared to understand. A little more of the ice holding his pain to his heart melted. "My grandfather must have known what she was and I'm certain that my father suspected something."

Kam tilted his head to one side and stared at the younger man. "Why should she tell her husband everything?"

"He was her husband."

"But the Jedi were hunted and killed, Kelt. If she told him what she was then he would probably have been killed too. We existed in dark times. To be a Jedi or to harbour a Jedi was punishable by death."

"Like my family were?"

"It's possible."

"But no one knew that she'd been a Jedi." Kelt dropped his spoon into the bowl with a clatter. "I'm not even convinced."

"The lightsaber is a strong clue," Kam said firmly. "And I think you _are_ convinced. It feels true, doesn't it?"

"But suppose it wasn't hers?" Kelt wanted to cover all the possibilities even though everything that was in him was screaming that the lightsaber had belonged to Kehta.

"Suppose it was and she was found out?" Kam shrugged. "There are beings out there, even after the death of the Emperor and Darth Vader, who would not like to see the Jedi rise again. Power is something that is very dangerous. How was she discovered?"

"I don't know," he whispered. "I really don't know."

"She must have done something rash," he decided. "Been careless."

"She was careful," Kelt gritted out between clenched teeth. "She never spoke of it – ever. None of us knew."

"Not careful enough," Kam snapped. "Even if she had been hiding for…" He stopped. Had Kelt's grandmother been hiding since the order had gone out to destroy the Jedi at the end of the Clone Wars? It was more than possible.

"Am I in danger?"

"Does anyone know that you are here?"

"No…just the captain of the freighter that took me from Osar. I worked my passage for several months. He's a good man. Apart from him…" Kelt shrugged. "No one knows me anywhere. My family died and I'm alone. Of course, nobody knows I'm here. Nobody cares."

Kam's face darkened with worry. "But they may do so now because you were waving your lightsaber around in the middle of a crowded spaceport."

Kelt's jaw tightened visibly. "I've never been away from Osarian before. The farthest I've ever travelled has been a few miles out of Osar, my home town. But since I've come here, I've been attacked, threatened, someone's attempted to rob me and I didn't even look at the being who knocked me through a set of doors into a cantina full of staring faces. He didn't like the way I looked and smelled for some strange reason." He wearily rubbed his hand over his forehead. "I had to do something," Kelt argued. "My money was going down - there were fights springing up every night. I had to do something to get away from here."

"You may even say that it worked." Tionne's voice held worry but also a touch of amusement.

"What worked?" Kam snapped.

"Using the lightsaber got Kelt to people who might be able to help him…namely us," Tionne said matter-of-factly.

"I didn't think he was convinced about that," Kam murmured as he began to relax. They were away from Commenor and who knows where they could be headed. Coruscant was big enough to lose oneself in…unless you wanted to speak to someone like Princess Leia Organa.

Kelt stared at Tionne's fair prettiness. "Are you a Jedi too?"

"No. I am a researcher…a historian, if you like. Much of the information I seek has been lost or deliberately hidden and destroyed."

"You are looking for information on the Jedi?" Kelt said, thinking of the data cards hidden amongst his belongings.

"She is also an accomplished musician and storycaster," Kam added, giving Tionne the first true smile that Kelt had seen on his face.

"My grandmother used to tell me stories and sing me to sleep when I was a boy."

Tionne's face lit up with anticipation. "Were they Jedi tales?"

"I don't know but they were tales of many beings doing heroic deeds."

"Will you tell them to me? It would be a fitting trade for your passage to Coruscant."

"Stories for my journey?" Kelt asked. "It doesn't seem fair."

"Oh, it is," Tionne replied fervently, pearly eyes glowing.

"What was your grandmother's name?" Kam asked curiously. It was possibly that his father may have known her.

"Kehta," Kelt said. "Kehta Kuhn-Marliss."

"Kuhn is a Jedi name," observed Kam.

"Indeed," Tionne agreed. "But that was many thousands of years ago."

"My father did not have the gift and only used Marliss. But my grandmother insisted that I have the full name on my birth documents. None of us understood why she was so insistent. We all thought it was a bit too much – too fancy. I never used it either." Kelt sighed. "She said that she was weak and that was what had kept her alive. If she had been more powerful they would have found her much sooner."

Kam reached out and curved his hands around his own lightsaber, still resting on the table between them. "She may have been weak but I suspect you are much stronger with the Force and she knew that. She did keep you safe."

"She told me to find the young Jedi."

"The young Jedi…?" Kam glanced at Tionne and saw comprehension on her face. "Skywalker!"

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Commenor Spaceport**

"Arrogant, insufferable…" Mara ground her teeth as she ducked down again behind the packing crates.

"Now, now, Mara," Luke chided mildly. "Names? I thought you were above such petty behaviour."

She glared at him. "We can't stay here."

"Come on then," he said sarcastically, stretching out his arm as if ushering he forward. "Please go and get yourself maimed or killed."

"I'm not going anywhere for the moment until this dies down a bit."

"What about your injury?"

"I told you that it was just a scratch." She tried to crane her neck to see exactly how bad her wound was but the attempt was uncomfortable. What was Skywalker doing? It might be better if he contacted the negligent security force. But then, perhaps they couldn't get through either. "How did you…?"

"Manage to get here?" He shrugged. "I just did what I had to do. I made a call to the spaceport security first of all and then decided we had a better chance if I could get to you."

"Did you realise the risk that you were taking?" Mara asked incredulously.

"I surveyed the scene and assessed your position. You weren't far away from the ship but you were effectively trapped right in the middle of the worst of the fighting." As soon as he'd known about her injury he'd worried about getting her out of there. He didn't want to be stuck in Commenor any longer. He'd been away from Leia and Han for longer than he'd wanted to be and he wasn't wasting any more time in this soulless place when he could be with them.

So, stretching out with the Force, he had walked straight into the middle of the melee, his lightsaber immediately flying into his grasp.

Mara, at that point, had peered over the edge of her shield and sighed resignedly. "Skywalker!" What was he doing? She had known him as a real person for so little time instead of the terrible myth that the Empire had built him up to be. She'd known him truly from the first time he'd touched her. What was she going to do with him when he persisted in attempting to throw away his life like this?

Luke had lifted a hand and several combatants flew backwards to lie stunned on the duracrete flooring and then almost instantly, his lightsaber had ignited and he'd batted away a couple of shots. Mara had slid her own trusty hold-out blaster from her wrist holster and prepared herself to cover Skywalker's movements. It would just be typical if the stupid Jedi got himself killed just before reuniting with his sister. She couldn't let that happen. Solo had promised remuneration on his safe return. Mara wanted to see Karrde's company get the necessary credits.

Suddenly Luke had spun on his heels, the saber flashing up in front of his face, blocking a shot that would have killed anyone else - including herself, Mara admitted soberly. Then she'd lost him for a few frantic minutes. Where was the bastard?"

"Looking for someone?"

Mara jerked around to face him, her blaster pointing into his chest. "You do that again, Skywalker and I will kill you. This…" she pressed the muzzle into Luke's chest, "…is not a toy."

Luke slid in behind the packing crates to join her. "So you keep saying and I'm sure it's a very fine weapon. But a lightsaber has more finesse."

"I left the lightsaber on board the ship," Mara said.

"You could have managed fine with the lightsaber but I understand that you are more confident with your blaster. Just be careful you are not tempted to use your weapon when it is not required."

"Not required!" Mara clenched her jaw in irritation. She'd been shot at for no apparent reason and he had decided that she didn't need to be able to defend herself properly.

"Besides, you don't really want to kill me."

"No?" Mara scowled. "The idea is extremely tempting and if you continue to push me, you will find that I mean what I say."

"You've said that before; pardon me if I have a hard time believing you." Luke bared his teeth in a semblance of a smile. "Didn't you just ask for my help?"

The relief at having him safe hadn't stopped her raining a series of choice epithets at him. "Arrogant, insufferable…"she repeated as her green eyes continued to drill holes in him. "I thought you could have sorted this out by talking to them or something. I thought that was what Jedi pacifists did. You're a Jedi Knight, not a daredevil exhibitionist," she screeched. Mara was more upset about caring for the stupid nerf of a man than worrying about his well-being.

"It was close but I was safe enough. I was more worried about you."

Mara was both upset and intrigued in what Luke had just managed to do and found the strange duality of emotions that she often felt in his presence more and more disturbing as time went on. She was angry with him for taking such an apparent risk, and flat amazed that he had exhibited such skill, confidence, and poise to carry off a manoeuvre like that, and make it look like he was going for an evening stroll.

"You were worried about me. I'm touched," Luke said, smiling.

"If I ever catch you doing that again, you _will_ be worried," she snapped. "Because I will despatch you with your own saber and then I'll chop you in little bits and feed you to the first rancor I come across."

"But you asked for my help," he said, his blue eyes guileless.

"I didn't expect that you would walk straight into the middle of a blaster fight."

"You really are very inconsistent at times, Mara Jade," he said mildly. "You asked for my aid and that's not something you do very often, is it? Therefore, I had to help."

Her lips tightened. She _had_ asked for his help, so why was she so irritated that he had done what she'd asked of him?

"They have little or no reason to fight," Luke explained gently. "They are enjoying inflicting misery on innocent passers-by. There is nothing I can currently do that would reach them without resorting to violence."

"But you don't like violence."

"What kind of a Jedi would I be if I did?" Luke's mouth twisted and he didn't meet her eyes. "Violence appears to follow me wherever I go whether I want it or not. Pacifism is a goal but not always an achievable one. Banging heads together has its place whether I like it or not. I am not a warmonger and I have learned that I do not like war; sometimes, alas, there are no other alternatives. The 'daredevil exhibitionist' seems to be a part of me although I wish that it wasn't."

Mara rolled her eyes. "You're not fooling me."

"I didn't think that I was and it was never my intention to do so. You are a level-headed young woman, Mara Jade, and I have come to value your opinions. I believe that you would tell me truthfully what I needed to know whether I wanted you to or not. However, I need to look at your injury."

"It's just a scratch and looks worse than it is." Mara carefully turned so that Luke could check the wound and quietly considered her jumbled feelings. She was still mad at him, but he did value her opinions. He was making it almost impossible for her to stay angry with him.

"You are correct, Mara. It looks painful - but not life threatening." He touched her shoulder gently and the stinging pain eased.

"You will have to teach me how to do that," Mara mumbled, relief visible on her face.

"Of course but not right now. It can wait." Luke raised his head above their shelter and noted that the smoke was clearing. Spinning a line with the Force, he gathered his power together and a pile of ferrocrete struts used to reinforce some of the buildings collapsed. There were a few loud curses and several figures made a dash away leaving Mara and Luke with a clearer run to their ship. "Get ready to go," Luke instructed Mara. "I will cover you." She nodded and prepared to dash towards the ship.

Using the Force, Luke edged one of the crates further out from the wall, stood up and stepped forward; immediately several shots were directed his way. But the green blade of his lightsaber hissed immediately into life as he deflected the bolts back from whence they came.

'_Now, Mara!'_

She needed no second telling and began to run, directing several blaster shots in all directions as she sprinted for the _Lucky Strike's_ ramp. She could see Artoo Detoo jiggling at the top, squealing worriedly over several electronic octaves. "Prepare to raise the ramp when Skywalker gets on board," she ordered.

Luke continued to block all the shots that came his way until a quavery voice shouted, "He's a Jedi!" The cry seemed to echo around the spaceport.

"Yes," Luke shouted, truth and the power of the Force ringing through his voice. "I am a Jedi and this has to stop. People have been hurt and for what? This is no way to solve your problems."

"No one listens to us," the voice insisted. "We are trying to defend ourselves and keep our livelihoods."

Luke wasn't surprised. "I will listen. The Jedi will listen." He didn't want to say that he was the only one. No, he was not the only one. Mara could be a Jedi, as could Leia and there was the stranger who had saved the boy. They could also become Jedi. "The Jedi will listen," he repeated.

"The Jedi are gone."

"No, they were never gone…not really. They were almost destroyed but will return to full strength. I promise you that."

"Who are you to promise us such things?" another more strident voice shouted, bitterness colouring his tones.

Mara and Artoo, from their vantage point at the top of the _Lucky Strike's _ramp could only groan. "He's dead, short stuff," she said, readying her blaster. "Your master has a streak of idiocy wider than the Cron Drift."

Artoo beeped back. He was in full agreement with the red-headed trader.

Luke stepped unafraid into the open, his slight figure seeming more so but Mara could see the strength.

"My name is Luke Skywalker and I am a Jedi Knight. My mission is to see that there are Jedi in the galaxy once more to help mediate for those who need it." He took a few more steps and no one shot at him. It seemed as if a reverent silence had fallen over the spaceport. An old spacer shuffled from behind another set of packing crates. Luke's hands tightened on the hilt of his saber but he sensed that the danger had passed.

"I believe you, lad," he said.

"Aye, so do I," another voice added. "Boys, enough's enough."

There were various grunts of agreement.

"Just as well," Luke said with a smile, attaching his lightsaber to his belt. "Spaceport security should be on their way. I would suggest that you all remove yourselves from the scene unless you are prepared to spend a night in the cells. I will speak to those in power about your issues if you would send them to me."

"How do we know where you are?"

"I'll be on Coruscant. Send your concerns to me through the office of Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. I can do no more just now. My friend was hurt in the crossfire and her wound needs to be treated."

"You mean what you say?" The old man's tone was suspicious.

"Yes. I give you my word as a Jedi."

"Then that's good enough for me. I still remember the old days." The old spacer waved his blaster above his head and keeping a regular unhurried walk, Luke reached the ramp of Mara's ship. As soon as he placed his foot upon it, it began to close.

"Mara!"

"We're leaving here," she gritted between clenched teeth. "Now!"

"But your shoulder?"

"Will keep until we're off Commenor." She scowled at him and he was reminded of the woman who had first arrived on Dagobah. "Stop arguing and do as you're told for once, please."

A stream of electronic invective made him turn his head to see Artoo Detoo whirling his little domed head from side to side.

Mara's smile was smug. "And your droid agrees with me."

"You I might argue with," Luke said, grinning. "But you and Artoo together? That's more than a match for one lowly Jedi Knight."

"You think you're so funny, don't you, Skywalker," Mara said pithily.

"I try," he countered neatly.

21


	31. Chapter 31

**Out of the Shadows 31**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Lena for her encouragement and for Michele and Tad for taking the time to read.

**The **_**Lucky Strike**_

"I hope that blaster that you were waving around was set to stun," Luke commented with dry amusement as he checked for any damage to his own person. He hadn't felt anything hit him but he could never be entirely sure.

"It was." Mara wrinkled her nose at him. She'd deliberately done that because she suspected that, being a pacifist Jedi, he wouldn't be happy otherwise. "But for your information, farm boy, I never 'wave' my blaster. My aim is always deadly accurate."

"Good. I'm glad your modesty is as understated as ever and that the blaster _was_ set on stun." The Jedi's voice held the slight edge of mocking sarcasm.

Mara rolled her eyes. So he was trying to be funny, was he? "I don't think my blaster is the problem," she muttered. "I came all the way to Dagobah to retrieve you for your sister and Solo and you try and get yourself killed at the first opportunity," she scolded. "You risked your life walking into the middle of that fight. What would Leia and Solo say?"

"I was in no danger."

"No," Mara snapped, her temper rising. Had he any sense of self-preservation? "That's not what they would say and you know it. Yes, you were in danger."

"No, I wasn't." Luke shrugged. "It got rid of some tension."

"I hardly think that would be their words as they sob over your charred corpse." Her mouth flattened in exasperation. "Skywalker, you are a prize nerf."

He raised his eyebrows quizzically. "I'm back to Skywalker now, am I?" She _had_ been worried about him, he thought. Part of her actually cared. "And for your information, _my_ Lady Jade, I am a Jedi, not a nerf." He was grinning, almost bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"I thought I told you that humour wasn't your forte?" Mara's eyes narrowed at the sudden burst of misplaced energy that the man was displaying. "You nearly got yourself killed."

Luke tilted his head to one side and couldn't resist twisting his very own sand-panther's tail. "I thought that was what you wanted."

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course it isn't." She paused, anticipating the gravelly sound of her master's voice and the searing pain inside her head that normally accompanied any departure from his way of thinking. Palpatine's voice had been silent in Mara's mind for some weeks.

Artoo rolled forward and gave Luke his usual scolding which the Jedi ignored. "We're both okay, Artoo. Go and recharge your batteries." The droid beeped a rude sound at his master and turned towards the recharging station.

"See, even short and round is concerned," Mara muttered, but her anger had evaporated. Maybe, he had really not been in as much danger as she had thought. He had walked into that battle as casually as he might take a morning stroll, cleared the way for her to get back to the ship, then stayed to end the conflict by apparently sheer force of will and cloaked power. It had been impressive, she admitted to herself and Luke had intimated that she could also be capable of using the Force in this manner.

"Mara, you asked for my help. I couldn't turn that down…not ever." His blue eyes darkened, the solemn tone of his voice indicating how serious this was to him. He knew that she didn't want to kill him. "You needed me and that was the only way I could help. By working together we both made it back and possibly stopped more bloodshed." He lifted up his hands aimlessly before dropping them back in his lap. "It's what I do. Whether it is my destiny or not, that is what I do…help people. You…" He hesitated for an instant. "…you are so independent, so self-reliant that when you ask for my help it is an honour to be able to do so."

Mara turned away, unable to meet the expression on his face. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably. He was too intense – too everything - and she couldn't explain the way that she now felt around him. She'd always been so sure of what she was doing and who she was. But two months spent in Skywalker's company and she was another woman. What was strange was that she liked this new creature.

Luke pulled out the med kit and advanced determinedly on Mara. "Let's see your shoulder."

"Let's get out of here first," she said, feeling the need to leave Commenor's grotty spaceport behind her.

"No," Luke said stubbornly. "I want to check your shoulder properly. If it is indeed a minor injury it won't take long to attend to. My family have waited over three years to see me; what's another hour or two?"

"But Luke…there was a…"

"Whatever it is will keep," he said quietly. "We are in no danger."

"Since when did you become a healer?" Mara wanted to tell Luke about the familiar face she'd seen. They could be in danger if this man was who she thought he was. "Luke…" she began.

"I have some basic skills, Mara," he interrupted her. "I was raised on a lawless desert rim world on top of the fact that I was a rebel on the run for years and didn't always have access to a fully stocked hospital ship. Plus, my Jedi training has taught me how to self-heal minor scrapes. It is not my true strength as real Jedi healers are exceptionally rare but..."

"No, from what you've told me, your training was different."

"Yoda and Ben didn't need a healer," he said, rifling through the contents of the med-kit. "They wanted a warrior – someone to fight the Sith and win. That was my destiny. Now I have to change my point of view and adapt to the changes ahead."

Mara moved towards him. "You never really had a choice, did you?"

"No," Luke murmured, staring into her mesmerising green eyes. "And neither did you."

Mara made a face at him but didn't deny it. She'd been taken from her parents, who she did not remember, and been trained to kill for the Emperor. That was no life for a child but that's what she had been when she'd eliminated her first target – a child. Not for the first time since she'd met Skywalker, Mara questioned what Palpatine had done to her. Luke was correct. She'd had no real choice. "Maybe," she muttered, still loath to admit anything outright.

"Now let me see that shoulder," Luke said. "The quicker it's dealt with, the faster we get out of here. Sit down."

She moved to the seating in the crew quarters and then pulled the cloak from around her shoulder, gingerly slipping one arm from her jumpsuit. "Oh!" she exhaled, her breath a soft hiss of pain.

"Mara!" Luke's face showed his concern.

"I'm all right," she said. "I just caught the edge of the wound. It hurt more than I thought it would but I've had worse."

Luke moved closer, swallowing nervously at the sight of her smooth creamy skin. It was unbelievably tempting. She was the only one who had ever affected him in this way. Perhaps Yoda and Obi-Wan were right. He closed his eyes briefly and offered up a prayer to whosoever listened to prayers that he could keep his head around her.

"Skywalker!" Mara was looking at him quizzically.

"It's not too bad but would be uncomfortable if left untreated for any longer. It would be a crime to let it scar." His fingers lightly touched the skin around her angry red wound and she almost leapt away from him.

"I'm sorry," he apologised, his blue eyes widening in horror. "Did I hurt you? I didn't mean to hurt you."

Mara shook her head numbly. How could she explain that the touch of his fingers against her skin resonated through her whole body? "No, you were gentle," she whispered.

Luke smiled and cautiously dabbed a cleansing wipe across the affected area. He decided that cleaning and binding the wound properly would aid his sketchy Jedi healing abilities. "I'm better at healing myself because it relates directly to me," he murmured.

"I'm sure you've had plenty practise," Mara muttered.

Luke chuckled. "True, but then you should know all about that. You read my file – it must have taken you quite a while. I seemed to run into trouble quite often and it wasn't usually my fault either." He held out his left hand to her – his real one. "Take my hand."

"What!"

"Take my hand," he repeated patiently.

"Take it where?" she said blankly.

Luke groaned and loosely threaded his fingers with hers. "This is my real hand," he said. "It's still attached to the rest of me."

"I know…oh, you're going to help me heal." His fingers were warm and strong and she felt a shiver go through her at his touch. Why did his touch affect her so?

"The Jedi way." He smiled at her. "Close your eyes," he instructed, "…and link with me. Focus on the source of your physical pain." He could see that she was reluctant to place such trust in a former enemy. It would be difficult to trust a close friend with some of the secrets that they probably held between them. They had found a measure of peace with one another but it was another thing to let down all their carefully constructed defences. "I won't pry into your secrets, Mara. This goes both ways, for me as well as you. I'm quite certain that we both have things that we do not want the other to see."

The connection between them was instantaneous and powerful. Luke felt her presence intensify in his mind and immediately sensed the throbbing pain in her shoulder as if it was his own. "Try to see the wound fading away," he directed calmly. "Let the pain lessen…let it drift away. Your skin will once again become smooth and whole."

Mara caught a sense of some powerful emotions which she couldn't decipher. "I see it," she said softly, wishing that she could do this with her whole being, letting all the evil seep away.

"I'm going to help you to your bunk and then we'll do that again. You are going to go deeper into the trance this time but only for a couple of hours. That's all the time you should need. You are very strong in the Force. Trust that feeling." He reached into the med kit and pulled out a bacta compress and gently bound the wound. "Just to make certain," he added. "Come on."

Mara opened her eyes and nodded, feeling woozy. Luke put his arm around her and guided her into her cabin. Moments later she was in a healing trance, her need to tell Luke about the man at the spaceport and the strange emotions she caught during their bonding, momentarily forgotten.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Three hours later, Mara awoke feeling refreshed. When she lifted Luke's carefully applied bacta compress, the only evidence of her brush with a blaster bolt was the hole in her jumpsuit and a tiny pink mark on her shoulder and it was hardly visible. With practice, she thought, there won't be a mark next time – that is, if there is a next time. She grinned ruefully. Of course there would be a next time. Another useful skill the Jedi had been able to teach her. She quickly showered and changed into a fresh jumpsuit and headed to the cockpit.

"Feeling better?" Luke asked without turning his head to look at her.

"Yes. There's almost nothing to see now," she confessed.

"Good."

"You did a good job on my shoulder." Mara suddenly felt awkward. She wasn't used to thanking people and again found herself indebted to Luke.

"Actually, you did most of it yourself." Luke's eyes flickered in her direction and immediately away again. "I only showed you what to do."

"I couldn't have done it without you 'showing me'," Mara muttered. Why was he so hard to thank? "Will you just let me say thank you?"

"You're feeling better. That's all the thanks I need. Although…" his voice trailed off and a mischievous grin crossed his face. "You haven't insulted me yet so perhaps you're not as well as you think you are."

"Skywalker! You…have sand instead of brains," she snapped, but an unwilling smile matched the one he had given her.

"Yup, you're fine." Luke checked a couple of details on the navicomp before swivelling in his seat to face her. "We got the first available departure slot out of Commenor and are three hours nearer Coruscant."

"I was out for three hours?" Mara commented, glancing at her wrist chrono. "How long until we arrive?"

Luke rechecked his calculations. "Yes, you were out for three and I estimate six hours to get into Coruscant's atmosphere…"

Mara grimaced. "And then another six to get through customs and security."

The Jedi shook his untidy head and grinned at her. "That shouldn't be a problem, Jade. Remember, we already have top level clearance."

"So we do." Mara smiled. Solo and Leia wouldn't want Luke caught in the bureaucratic nightmare that Coruscant could become for those wanting to contact top-level citizens. It would undoubtedly reveal his identity and it wouldn't be wise for that to happen yet. She noted that co-ordinates and codes of their ultimate destination were in a secure section of the city planet. Mara had once had the right to enter that zone until it had all been taken away from her.

"Do you want to take a break?" she asked him.

The bright lustre of Skywalker's blue eyes had faded a bit and he appeared to be tired. "I can't sleep, Mara," he said, his voice suddenly husky. "I couldn't."

She slipped into the co-pilot's seat and took his hands in hers wordlessly offering comfort. She didn't think that she'd ever before done such a thing to another living person. All this had taken far more out of him than she'd ever imagined. "You'll be with her soon," she said, offering what comfort she was able to give. And the strange thing was, that knowing Luke and being with him and learning about him from his family and experiencing the love he felt for them and they for him, she was able to find something deep inside herself. "Leia and Han are waiting for you."

"But then you will leave," he said, and Mara thought that she glimpsed naked hurt visible in the blue depths. "I don't want you to go."

"I have to leave. My job is done and I owe Karrde too much to suddenly abandon him and the group."

Luke sighed. "I know you have to leave, I just don't want you to. I'm used to people disappearing from my life and never seeing them again." He stared down at the instrument panel. "I'll miss you very much as I've come to see you as a close friend. I don't have many of those that I can trust. My family are very important to me."

So he considered her 'family' as well, she realized, and the thought had an odd warming effect on her. She couldn't think of a brilliant come back, so she simply said, "Disappearing for three years can play havoc with your social schedule, Skywalker."

"When you can, will you come and train with me? If you find that you have a little spare time and are near Coruscant…or wherever I end up – will you come and learn more about becoming a Jedi? I only want you to do this if it _is_ what you want to do with your life. All the things I told you on Dagobah about the Jedi life being hard and often lonely are still true but the rewards can be infinite."

She couldn't really argue with that. She had seen enough over her time with him to realise that what he had to offer might be a way for her to excise her demons and really find peace. "I do want it one day but you and I both know that I'm not ready to commit." She nodded at him. "You have my word that I will return to be trained when the time is right."

He smiled again and his heart lifted when her lips curved to match his. "Friends?"

She nodded, her green eyes shining. "Friends." She looked pointedly at him sitting in the pilot's seat.

"Sorry, Captain Jade," he muttered mockingly. "I appear to have usurped your place."

"You do."

Luke slipped from the seat and Mara replaced him. She checked the controls and gave him an approving nod. "Good work, Skywalker."

"Why, thank you, Ma'am," he said cheekily. "Do I salute now or later?"

"Luke…" Mara hesitated, ignoring his flippant remarks. She had to tell him her suspicions about the man she'd seen. "At the spaceport…"

"What about it?" Luke made himself comfortable in the co-pilot's seat.

"Did you sense the others?" she asked curiously.

"The other Force users?" Luke ran his fingers through his hair, flattening it. "Yes, I sensed them."

"And?" So he _had_ sensed the others. He was up to something, she thought. There was some twisted, Jedi scheme inside his head. She hadn't spent over two months with the Jedi without learning to read the signs. Although, from what she'd been told about the Jedi, Luke Skywalker _was_ remarkably uncomplicated. That was a big clue that there were things happening that he hadn't told her. Because she didn't understand her companion at all even when he thought he was making perfect sense. Luke Skywalker was the most complicated man she had ever met and that was saying something.

"They didn't hide what they were." Luke said. "They didn't shield."

Mara thought for a moment. All the Jedi were supposed to be dead, weren't they? "Perhaps they felt no need to shield."

"Perhaps," Luke agreed. "Or maybe they were unable to shield – some of them that is."

"You don't believe that," Mara stated.

"And neither do you," Luke drawled slowly. "Curious. But I don't think that some of them are able to shield. They don't appear to be very experienced."

Mara's eyes narrowed. "There was a lightsaber involved. Someone knew what they were doing out there. I thought you might have contacted them."

Luke shrugged. "It wasn't yet time."

So he did have some sort of plan. Mara felt satisfaction at second-guessing the man by her side. "What happened? I didn't see much from my position behind the crates."

"The boy - Kelt, I think his name is - was helped from the middle of a fight by a tall man in a dark hooded cloak."

"Dragged would be a more accurate description," Mara said. "I saw that part and how did you know the younger man's name."

"The Force told me and the 'other' did what he needed to do. The boy was panicking and could have caused a more serious incident. Lightsabers are not toys as you are well aware. I felt the energy through the Force as soon as he ignited it. This Jedi, if that's who he is, recognised the Force within Kelt and acted accordingly. Both of these men are exceptionally strong with the Force, as are you yourself, Mara, but only one of them can harness its power."

"Yes. Okay…whatever." Mara bit her lip worriedly. "About the tall man in the dark hooded cloak…" She sighed.

"What about him?" Luke asked.

Her lips flattened into a thin line. "I don't want to burst your happy little Jedi bubble but I've seen him before."

Luke was unconcerned. "That's not an impossible situation."

"The galaxy is a very big place," Mara explained long-sufferingly, as if she was talking to a dim five year old.

"Yes, but the Jedi are drawn to one another," Luke explained patiently. "I've told you this before. It doesn't matter how big the galaxy is the Jedi will move towards one another. It is inevitable."

"You know he's an actual Jedi? You know who he is?"

Luke shook his head. "I don't know who he is but it should be possible to find out because he has been trained and trained well in the Jedi arts. There are not many individuals like him left alive. It is inevitable that we should meet. The Jedi naturally seek out one another whether they intend to or not – the power of the Force draws us together. You found me."

"I'm getting paid to do that," Mara responded sharply.

"Perhaps you are, but no credits were exchanged over the circumstances of our first meeting on Druckenwell. What were the odds of an encounter there ever happening? The lines and patterns in the Force are changing and shifting as if a great awakening is taking place. You would never have looked for me quite as diligently without Leia and Han but you still looked. You wanted answers."

"Did I get any?" Mara asked, disgruntled. All he seemed to do was to raise more questions than answers sometimes.

Luke grinned, his whole face shining with sudden fervour. "The Jedi are awakening again. The Force is with us."

Mara rubbed her fingers across her eyes. Skywalker was starting to give her a headache. "I've met him before," she repeated, "and he was with Palpatine. I'm sure that I know who he is and what he was."

Luke blinked. "I couldn't read much from him, as I said; he was the only one of the three who could shield." This was interesting but he doubted it would have any effect upon his actions. "What was he?"

"He was a member of the Dark Side Elite." Mara waited for Luke to react negatively. She was to be disappointed.

Luke just shrugged. "So?"

"Isn't that against everything you believe in?"

"I sensed good in him," Luke stated firmly. "He has renounced the darkness that once consumed him."

"Even I will admit that the Dark Elite members' methods were more than questionable but renouncing those methods? I don't think so." Mara argued stoutly. "They should all be dead. They all _were_ dead. Or at least I thought they were."

"Never assume," Luke told her. "It could cost you your life."

Mara's face darkened. The young Jedi was right. She'd assumed that Skywalker could never have escaped from Jabba's trap at the Sarlaac pit on Tatooine – but he had along with his friends. She had also assumed that he was a cruel and callous murderer but had instead found that he was someone quite different.

"What can you tell me about them?" Luke knew the man was no danger to them – he had felt it. But Mara had strong negative feelings towards this elite group and would have to understand that Luke gave everyone a second chance. Perhaps he wasn't so naïve to give them a third chance but he considered that no one was perfect and everyone made mistakes. He should know, he'd made enough of them himself. It didn't hurt to be forewarned. Nor did it hurt to remember that evil never completely vanished and that shades of grey could be corrupted. He'd been warned that the dark side was always there…waiting.

Mara narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "I know there's something going on inside that sandy head of yours, Skywalker," she muttered looking at his tousled hair. He'd obviously just run his fingers through it to neaten it and had failed utterly. She wondered what it might be like to just touch it. Would it be as fine to the touch as it looked? Instead, she gazed at him shrewdly. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing. I'm just asking you for information. It's always a good idea to be informed on a subject - just in case it comes up in conversation." He smiled winningly at her.

Mara's lip curled disdainfully. "This is not one of your sister's dinner parties, Farmboy. What are you up to?"

"I'm not 'up to' anything and I'm still asking," he said doggedly.

"Oh, very well," she said huffily. Force, he was persistent but she did enjoy this sort of conversation with him, part discussion and part banter. "The Dark Side Elite were a group of seven warriors trained mainly by the Emperor himself in the ways of the Force."

"I assume it was through Sith or dark techniques."

"They weren't called the _Dark Side Elite_ for nothing, Skywalker." She tilted her head and assessed him. "Are you going to continue interrupting me or let me tell you what I know?"

Luke held up his hands in appeasement. "Sorry. I'm all ears."

She shot a look of mild dislike at him. He could still annoy her so easily. "Executor Sedriss was the highest ranked of the seven."

"I've heard of him!" Luke exclaimed suddenly like a small boy.

"Skywalker!" Mara said threateningly.

"Sorry," he apologised again, but there was a wicked glint in his eye which Mara took to mean that he was aware of exactly what he was doing. His mood was infectious, and she had to work hard to suppress a grin.

Mara sifted through her sketchy memories of the Dark Side Elite members. They had enforced the Emperor's law with any means at their disposal. "There were rumours that one of the seven had defected," she admitted slowly. "But it was never confirmed to me and I always thought of it as unlikely."

"Why not?"

"Do you really think that Kam Solusar could have left such a service unless it was through death? That is the only way that the Emperor would take betrayal. The Dark Side Elite felt nothing for those that they destroyed. Could you really see good in such a man?"

"Kam Solusar," Luke murmured. "Kam Solusar. That's his name? Where have I heard that name before?" He quickly ran his gaze across the control panel in front of him, again checking that nothing was wrong with the ship – he still remembered the death of his X-wing, and then glanced up at Mara. "Excuse me a moment." And before she could say anything more, he had slipped from the co-pilot's seat and vanished from the cockpit.

"Skywalker!" Mara called irritably. What had got his Wookiee in a twist now? She heard him shout out something to Artoo and the droid's terse response before he appeared in the doorway. "What?"

Excitement shone in Luke's blue eyes. "I've heard the name before but…" He pulled out a couple of antique data rods and a strange looking device which presumably was able to decipher the contents stored within. He slotted the rod into the device and tapped some commands into a miniature touch screen. "Solusar…Solusar…Here it is," he announced, satisfaction lifting his voice.

"What is?" Mara's voice rang with exasperation.

"The place where I've seen his name before." He passed Mara the data reader. "These are records that I found on one of my travels."

"Ranik Solusar?" she queried.

"Yes. I found these cards along with some lightsabers in a boa-wood box stored, or rather hidden, in a room full of old junk in the university library on Praesitlyn. They have some names and a little information but nothing substantial. I suspect whoever got rid of them didn't have time to do it properly. It was fortunate that they were never discovered."

"Then one of the lightsabers may possibly have belonged to this Ranik Solusar."

This wasn't something he had considered before but it was a good idea. He focused on where he knew the sabers to be stored, packed carefully in their boa-wood box in the _Lucky Strike's_ cargo hold, reaching for the identity of the man he'd sensed on Commenor and linking it with the name of his father. "No," he said regretfully. "I don't think that any of the sabers were his, but I'm not one hundred percent sure on that. Ranik Solusar was a Jedi master during the Old Republic. Interestingly enough he was married and had a son that he trained towards knighthood."

"Why is it interesting that he was married?" Mara wondered aloud.

"Not many Jedi did as far as I can gather. Yoda never told me that it was forbidden but I could imagine it to be distracting. I think they were encouraged to devote their lives to the order. But from what I've read so far, I've discovered that some marriages did take place. My own father was a Jedi and I'm certain that he was married although I have no actual proof. Therefore, it makes sense to link Ranik to Kam. I don't suppose there are many more Force-trained Solusars running around the galaxy."

"Kam Solusar." Mara nodded. "So, he probably had training from a Jedi source…"

"His father," Luke interjected.

"His father," Mara echoed, "who might have trained him round about the time of the Clone Wars."

Luke fiddled with the data reader in his hand. "Many Jedi were killed during the Clone Wars – perhaps Ranik Solusar was too."

"This would leave him on his own until he joined the Dark Elite," Mara said thoughtfully. "It would possibly make him more likely to break his conditioning but I still think it is an unlikely occurrence."

Luke's mouth tightened stubbornly. She may think that she knew the type of man Kam Solusar was but not who he is and could become. "What I sensed is true," he said. "There is still good in him."

Luke wondered if Mara was truly aware of what she was saying about Kam 'breaking' his conditioning. He knew that he had an even stronger example of a fallen Jedi returning to the light – his own father, Anakin. But he couldn't tell her about him – not yet. "You are certain that this is the man you saw at the spaceport?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Observational techniques formed a large part of my training."

"But your eyes can deceive you." Luke almost smiled as he delivered Obi-Wan and Yoda's oft repeated comment.

"I wasn't relying solely on my eyes," Mara returned calmly. "He had the Force and even in such a short time he reached out to me for information. The Emperor taught me some blocking techniques just in case I came across hostiles with access to the Force. I felt his probe against my shields."

Luke lifted his head. "Fascinating," he murmured. "You must show me how those techniques are put to use."

She sighed. "I've seen him before and I recognised the way I felt around him and his kind. I think I have holos in some of my files back at Karrde's headquarters. I rarely forget a face – especially of one who was supposedly so close to my master."

"He's not what he was," Luke insisted. "He's changed – the Force does not lie."

"But you are saying that he's the son and apprentice of a Jedi Master. That is a lot of Force power he could probably wield."

"Yes. Perhaps the death of his father…" Luke faltered as his eyes scanned the information on the screen.

"What is it?" Mara felt the sudden chill as if the temperature had suddenly dropped.

"Darth Vader personally destroyed Ranik Solusar – it wasn't the Clone Wars." Luke wondered at the sick feeling invading his stomach. He knew Vader had hunted and killed Jedi – he'd seen him do it to Obi-Wan. His father had turned to the light at the end but it did not, and could not, absolve him of his evil deeds. Luke could understand why Leia could not forgive their father whereas most of the time he could see Vader's all too human frailty and accept it. At other times – it was almost impossible.

He recognised his own potential for darkness. Vader had succumbed to the dark's seductive lure. Luke used it as a warning to stay away but it was always going to be a part of his daily life.

Mara shrugged lightly. "Vader destroyed many people's fathers. I wouldn't be surprised if my own was among them and yours."

"And that doesn't make you angry?" Luke couldn't believe this woman sometimes. Was she as cold as he sometimes thought?

"I never knew my parents," Mara said casually. "Therefore, I don't know how I would feel."

"Perhaps you might feel about him the way you felt about me?" Luke said gravely. "You considered Palpatine to be like a father to you. You thought that I had killed him. Think about your emotions towards me even though I did not kill him."

"You've said that." Mara couldn't think of anything to say. She no longer believed in her mind that Skywalker killed her master but it was difficult getting her heart to believe as easily. Her master wouldn't have lied to her like that, would he? But now she understood what the young Jedi was alluding to. Her rage and despair at what she'd thought Skywalker had done had fuelled her revenge since Palpatine's death.

Luke wondered what it was that had caused Kam Solusar, if that was who he was, to fall so far to the dark side. Was it the death of his father and the defeat of the Jedi Order? There was no doubt in Luke's mind that was what had happened. He would have been young – much younger than Luke was when he'd destroyed the first Death Star. But what had made him renounce the darkness and return to the light? Redemption was often a much harder road to travel.

"Skywalker! Luke!" Mara prodded him in the shoulder with a sharp finger. "You zoned out on me again."

"Sorry," he replied automatically, not at all sorry. Sometimes she didn't give him enough time to think and he had to consider the shifting of the patterns and lines in the Force.

"Listen to me, Skywalker. Solusar has just grabbed your potential Jedi student. This cannot be a good thing as I wouldn't trust any member of the Dark Elite alone with a Force-strong innocent."

"The boy is in no danger from this man."

"He could be," Mara spat. "Your 'boy' did not appear to go willingly with Solusar."

"They are not alone. There is another," Luke said.

"Another!" Mara echoed.

"You mentioned a group of Force sensitives, Mara. You asked if I had sensed 'the others'. There was also a woman with them. I did say there were three."

"A woman?" Mara's mouth opened and closed without a sound emerging.

"Not as powerful as the other two but with a pure, light Force aura."

"Trained?" Mara wondered aloud.

Luke shook his head. "No."

"He's dangerous, Skywalker," Mara insisted.

"And you are not?" She was progressing every day from the bitter vengeful woman he'd first met on Druckenwell. He felt that he knew her but yet, he worried that he had read her wrong, that they couldn't be as in tune with one another as he suspected they were.

"I know I am but that's not what I'm talking about," Mara snapped. "I've never pretended not to be dangerous to you. This isn't about me."

Luke pressed on. He was training Mara Jade to become a Jedi whenever and wherever he could in whatever time they had before she left to return to Karrde's organisation. Pushing her to total honesty about herself was part of that training. Luke didn't think that he could be as manipulative as Yoda and Obi-Wan had been because he hadn't had quite their experience but he was willing to try. He conveniently left the 'do' part of the saying out of things. "Oh, I think part of it is about you. If _you_ cannot change you cannot possibly conceive that anyone else can either."

"What?" Mara's expression was one of total disgust. "Skywalker, you are the biggest pile of nerf drop…"

"You are repeating yourself," Luke warned.

"No, not yet. I have a long list of descriptive names to utilize before that happens."

"I stand forewarned," Luke mumbled. "But you also served Palpatine much like the Dark Side Elite."

"That was different," Mara protested.

"How is it 'different'?" Luke wondered.

"They were evil – they enjoyed what they did."

"Oh." He stared at the beautiful woman seated beside him. "Did you not kill enemies of Palpatine?"

"Yes. I was his Hand, his personal assassin. Those beings had to go. They were destroying his Empire."

"All of them?" Luke asked. "Even people like my uncle and aunt barely scratching out a living on Tatooine? The most dangerous thing they did was shelter me. It was their deaths that caused me to join the Rebellion."

Mara's gaze fell. She'd never looked at things in precisely that way. She'd known that perhaps some of the things she'd done were wrong but her Master had commanded and she had obeyed. "I didn't like what I had to do on many occasions," she whispered reluctantly.

Luke took pity on her. She could be cold and often angry with confusing hints of warmth and kindness but she was correct, she wasn't evil. "We both know that you are not evil, Mara. Blind…misguided perhaps...but there is good in you too. Are you afraid that I would discover that you can be kind - possibly even loving?"

Mara snorted. "Skywalker, you have an extremely active imagination."

"I read you, Mara. I see you. The Force shows all. You cannot hide who and what you are."

"I've done things," she whispered, shame flooding her being.

"Haven't we all done things we regret, strayed too far along the wrong path? The point that I'm trying to make, Mara, is that it is possible to turn back to the light. It is likely that Solusar had no choice in what he did and regretted it. You never had a choice either. Palpatine should never have taken you from your parents and used your gifts against you."

Mara said nothing and stared down at her hands. Her parents – she could barely remember them but she did recall that they hadn't wanted her to go. Were they still alive? She had been so easy to manipulate. Someone she had trusted had done that to her and she felt betrayed.

"There is still good in him," Luke reiterated. "He was protecting the boy."

"Pardon me if I disagree." Mara's voice lacked her usual strident certainty. Inside she was a mass of confusion. She'd felt more confident in herself since she'd spent the time with Luke on Dagobah but seeing Solusar had taken her back several steps. She couldn't have been wrong about everything surely? She stiffened. "We don't know where they are going. You just let them go – they could be anywhere in the galaxy by now."

"Do you really think that?" he asked. "They're going where we are."

"Oh, come off it, Skywalker." Her face showed her disbelief. "You really think that they are going to Coruscant?"

Luke could sense her bewilderment and, seeking to distract and reassure, nodded. "Yes, I think that's exactly where they are going. You're reacting without thinking again," he chided almost affectionately. "I should be getting jealous."

"Jealous?" Mara interrupted in surprise.

"Yeah," Luke chuckled and shook his head ruefully. "That's normally your reaction to anything I say or do. You never believe in my good intentions. I'm going to be terribly put out at Solusar taking away what's mine."

Mara couldn't help the amusement that rang in her voice. "Terribly put out," she echoed. "You sound like one of the stuffy, pompous aristocrats from the Senex-Juvex ruling houses talking like that."

Luke stifled the groan that rose unbidden to his lips. Her laugh had been low and sexy forming in the back of her throat before spilling from her soft lips.

"Skywalker!" Mara snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hey! Where did you go? You drifted off again."

He turned his head towards her and blue eyes met green. There was a startled connection of the awareness that never seemed to be far from the surface. "Thank you," he said, his expression sincere.

"You don't have to thank me for anything," she replied, somewhat baffled.

"But I do. Thank you for braving the perils of Dagobah to come and get me for my family. For your friendship and just for being what you are. I get the feeling that I'm going to need your clear-sightedness and straight talking in the future." He leant towards her and, unable to stop himself, dropped a careful kiss on her forehead. He thought that she might have shrunk away from his touch, but she had not. Mara just stared at him, her eyes brilliant and full of an emotion they both didn't yet fully understand.

She had tried to ignore these…tiresome feelings that she experienced whenever he was around and mostly, she _could_ ignore them…push them away…whatever. But they were always there simmering under the surface and they continued to plague her. She closed her eyes in acceptance and Luke leant forward once more but this time, instead of her forehead, he kissed her mouth. It was a gentle, almost chaste affair.

Luke was holding himself back with everything he had. Fire was creeping along his veins at the touch of her lips. She was too tempting and far too dangerous to his peace of mind. There had to have been a reason that the Jedi rarely married and he thought he had just found it. Women like Mara Jade were lethal.

'_The Skywalkers love on sight and forever.'_

The words continued to haunt him. Would this be his fate? Did he…could he love Mara Jade? Then he would have to accept it bravely. He stared at her. "Perhaps, that was a mistake?" he wondered softly.

"Do you think so?" Mara countered. She'd been kissed before and was no shrinking virgin but she'd never been affected as deeply as she had by such a simple salute. It spoke of caring and respect and reassured that he saw her as more than a female body to be used and tossed aside. Luke would never take advantage of her in that fashion.

If he said that he hadn't killed Palpatine then finally she truly believed him. She was still convinced there were things he wasn't telling her, things that might have made her trust him sooner. But he had earned her trust.

"I don't think it was a mistake but then, it depends on how you feel about it too." Luke was watching her carefully.

Mara lifted a slim red eyebrow.

"If you took offence and blasted me where I sat, that would mean that I'd made a mistake."

Her lips curved into a sultry smile that spoke volumes. "I think that you're alright…for now."

"Good."

"Luke..." Mara hesitated. "You do know that I'll be leaving Coruscant."

"Yes. You have a job and obligations as have I. But Mara, we will not remain apart for long. I can feel it. We are pulled together, you and I. Whether as friends, teacher and pupil…" His voice roughened, "…or something more."

What he was speaking of was both exhilarating and frightening. They already had the first two covered. He was her teacher and yes, she called him friend, but there was also something stronger pulling them inexorably towards one another. "We let destiny take its course?"

"We do." He lifted his hand and caressed her smooth cheek. "We're coming up on Coruscant, Mara."

She nodded, her air quickly becoming brisk. "Strap yourself in properly, Skywalker. It's time for you to return to the real world."

"Take us down, Captain Jade."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

18


	32. Chapter 32

**Out of the Shadows 32**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Lena for her encouragement and for Michele and Tad for taking the time to read.

**Coruscant**

"Hey, Solo! Surely the _Falcon's_ not needing to be repaired…again?"

Han lifted his head from the open panel, the slightly scorched wiring trailing across the hull. "Wha…!" he muttered, his heart jumping into his throat and his hand automatically going towards his customary thigh holster. The voice sounded familiar but it wasn't the one he'd been hoping to hear. He swivelled rapidly and turned to face the direction of the call and, with a sigh of relief, recognised the figure walking casually towards him. "Antilles?" he queried without really needing to.

"Yes, it's me." Wedge Antilles wandered across the hangar bay. "Good to see you, Han. It's been quite a few months." His dark eyes tracked the direction Han's hand had taken towards his weapons. "I'm glad to see that you are as cautious as ever but even more glad that you didn't decide to shoot me.

"I didn't know that you were due back," Han back-pedalled swiftly, trying to hide his disappointment. Of course it wasn't Wedge he'd been expecting. "I thought that you were still out in the Corporate Sector."

"We weren't due back for another couple of months. But the inner council in their infinite wisdom decided that the convoys we were babysitting…uh…protecting…could manage without us."

"And could they?"

"Absolutely." Wedge grimaced tiredly. "I've had some boring assignments in my time but this one really took the ryshcate. I'm glad it's finished. It was all to do with politics and nothing to do with saving lives. Some of the jumped-up phoneys out there just wanted to be able to say that they had the legendary Rogue Squadron at their disposal to order about as they saw fit."

Han's face darkened. "Ah, nothing worse. I've been there before and probably will be again."

Wedge sighed. "It was much easier when I was a pilot for the Rebel Alliance. Personally, I like leaving that politics business to the politicians. No disrespect to Leia. She's one of the few that I trust."

"That sentiment I understand and I agree with you." Han grinned at the dark-haired, orange-suited pilot. He'd been so caught up in his thoughts about Luke's impending arrival that he'd failed to notice the three X-wings parked neatly on the other side of the private hangar. Wedge and two of the other Rogue Squadron members – Tycho Celchu and Hobbie Klivian - had apartments in the same building as Leia and Han.

Wedge glanced back at his ship. "I can't remember the last time we had a decent period of leave. It's been too long and our ships really need a massive overhaul as well. We've decided to combine the two. I've flown too many hours with little excitement recently."

"The leave with the overhaul," Han said, nodding. "A good plan."

"It leaves you stale," Wedge said with a sigh. "That kind of flying without any downtime to relax. Besides, Hobbie's X-wing almost blew up on him not that long ago. We did a patch job on the repair until we could get to the proper facilities. I don't trust anyone but our own Verpine mechanics."

"I know the feeling," commented Han. "Nobody touches the _Falcon _apart from me and Chewie but I might allow a Verpine to assist." He grinned.

Wedge glanced at his wrist chrono. "I didn't think it was so late. I knew it was late but _that _late!" He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. "I need sleep," he moaned. "But we had to be debriefed immediately. We weren't doing anything that warranted the filing of any data but I know as the commander, it's better to get these things over and done with as soon as possible." He looked carefully at Han, curiosity written on his face. "Why are you here?" He paused, choosing his words with caution. "You haven't had a fight with Leia…have you?"

"I never fight with Leia," Han said with dignity before ruining the effect with a rueful grin. "Well, I do, but not this time. I was waiting for…" He stopped. Luke didn't want anyone to know that he was coming home yet. Oh, Han was certain that Luke would want Wedge to know but a streak of possessive selfishness fuelled the desire to keep the news of Luke's return to himself for a little longer. Han and Leia were the Kid's family and no one had the right to intrude…yet. "I had things on my mind," he admitted softly. "Couldn't sleep."

Wedge nodded in understanding. He'd had many a night like that too. Winning the war hadn't stopped the fighting; it had just changed its nature. Both men considered the political arena to be far more deadly.

_**xxxxxxxxx**_

Leia hadn't been sleeping either but had at least made the attempt to try and get some rest. Han had swung his legs from the bed and reached for his trousers. "The _Falcon_ needs to be checked. Some of the wiring was frying the last time I went any distance."

Leia rolled over and sat up. "Admit it, Flyboy. You can't sleep because Luke's almost home and not because that crate of yours needs work. It always needs work. While you're at it, check that there's enough space for Mara's ship."

"He's in Mara's ship?"

"I think so. There was no mention of his X-wing."

Han recalled the few times that he'd seen the _Lucky Strike. _"Mara's ship isn't big enough to carry the X-wing unless he's slaving it to her systems."

"Possible. The X-wing isn't the best vehicle for long journeys despite the hyperspace capability."

Han shrugged. "Hasn't stopped him before but if he's travelling with Jade…" He grinned suddenly. "That's going to be interesting and a journey that I'm glad I'm not on. Their opinions on many things are polar opposites which may make for some lively debates."

Leia's mouth twisted. "There's a lot of…emotion on Mara's part where Luke's concerned and I don't think it is particularly good. She was not disposed to like him or even give him a chance before she left Coruscant."

"Jade strikes me as the type that tends to simmer quietly, I would suspect, which then leads to a big explosion."

"I hope that didn't happen," Leia muttered. Mara was a strong-willed woman.

"I'm sure the redhead managed to control herself despite the open hostility."

Leia's brow furrowed worriedly. "Luke can be just as bad. We don't see it very often these days but there is a hot temper inside him. Once that's roused…" She shifted uncomfortably, the mattress creaking in protest. "I would hope and suspect that the pair of them have ignored each other for the entire journey."

Han pulled on his shirt. "You are probably right on that, Sweetheart. I can't see that being a match made in the best circles. Cancel the wedding invitations. Should I have a bacta tank made ready?"

Leia rolled her eyes, a habit she'd picked up from Han. "Mara's not that bad. She said she wouldn't harm Luke and she won't. I trust her on that. She doesn't have to fall in love with Luke; she just needs to bring him home to us. Go on. You're not going to get any sleep tonight until Luke walks down that ramp, are you?"

"No, I don't think I am," Han admitted. "Are you coming with me?"

"I would love to but I have an early appointment tomorrow with Mon Mothma which I can't cancel and I want to be able to spend as much time as I can with my brother when he arrives. I cleared my schedule as much as I could and said that we were planning on taking a trip in the _Falcon_. I won't sleep much but I have to at least try."

"You demanded the time and quite rightly too." Han had smiled at his prosaic fiancée. "But I can't imagine Mon Mothma being very pleased about that."

"She wasn't but she knows how hard I've worked on the Gelos treaty plus all of the others I've pulled together for the Inner Council."

"You mean _saved_," Han had said firmly. "You saved most of those treaties from going under. There are now many worlds that are a part of the New Republic because of you."

"You are possibly correct," Leia muttered. "But with all the other worlds petitioning for New Republic membership my workload isn't going to ease up any time soon. I deserve some time to spend with my brother now. It's not as if we have a major crisis on our hands."

"No, not yet," Han remarked dryly.

"Nerf." Leia lay down and wriggled into the soft mattress, pummelling her pillow into submission.

Han chuckled and leaned over, dropping a warm kiss on her smooth forehead. "I love you when you get all autocratic. You demanded the time off, didn't you?"

"My brother is coming home. Of course I did." Leia closed her eyes determinedly.

"I'll call and wake you if the ship gets in earlier than we hope."

"You'd better," Leia mumbled sleepily. "But I doubt that I'll actually sleep."

"Then come with me," he wheedled invitingly, his hazel eyes mischievous. "The _Falcon _is the only ship in the hangar tonight."

But he'd been wrong about that. There were three X-wings and one of their pilots was standing in front of him.

_**xxxxxxxx**_

"Han!" Wedge coughed lightly.

"Sorry!" Han returned to the present time. "I was just thinking for a moment." He could not tell Wedge about Luke just yet.

"There's been no word from Luke?"

Han froze. "A word…Luke…Uh…" He couldn't look at the Rogue Squadron pilot. "We're hoping that he'll be home very soon," he managed to say. It wasn't a lie. "Very soon."

"I thought I saw his X-wing once," Wedge said, his face serious. "I understood why he had to go away but not why he had to cut himself off from us so completely."

"Part of the Jedi training I expect. No distractions," Han offered gravely.

"Yeah, I guess you're right but it doesn't make the loss of a friend any easier."

"He's not lost," Han returned. "He's just been on a very exclusive sabbatical."

"Is that what you call it?" muttered Wedge.

"He'll be back, Wedge." Han gave the _Falcon _a reassuring pat.

"I still think the X-wing I saw above Praesitlyn belonged to the 'Boss' and no amount of people telling me to lay off the 'Old Corellian' will change my mind."

"Praesitlyn?" Han echoed. It probably had been Luke. "He's still your boss?"

"He always will be. There's no one that flies like Luke – no one that led Rogue Squadron like Luke. The rest of us can only watch and learn."

Han popped open a maintenance panel on the _Falcon_ and groaned. "Aw…damn! I thought this section would be the part I didn't need to replace. Why does the wiring have to look this bad…" He heaved a heavy sigh. "I'm the last person to dissuade you from the 'Old Corellian'. I have a really good bottle that I'm planning to open when the kid comes home." He pulled at a tangle of charred wiring. "I'll invite you."

"Please do." Wedge yawned. "I can only hope that I have a glass of that very spirit waiting for me in the mess and then I actually get to sleep an entire evening in a proper bed. With that thought in mind, I'll say goodnight." He raised a hand in farewell.

"Night, Wedge." Han lifted his head at the sound of a well-tuned engine coming closer.

"It looks as if there's a ship coming into the next hangar," Wedge commented as he began to move away from the _Falcon._ "Must be someone from the Senate."

"You know what they say about Coruscant, Wedge. It's the planet that never sleeps." Han willed the younger man to leave. This whole area was restricted to general traffic. Suppose that was Mara Jade's ship with Luke on board finally returning home?

Wedge raised his hand again and began to amble towards the exit tube.

Han activated the com attached to his shirt collar. "Leia, honey, there's a ship incoming and it isn't dissimilar to the _Lucky Strike._" The ship grew closer and the anxious expression on his face intensified. "That's Karrde's ship. Luke's home."

"I'm on my way," she said and immediately cut the connection.

Han headed towards the viewing area and watched the ship moving closer. His com crackled to life. "General Solo?"

"Receiving," Han answered the tinny sounding voice sharply as he watched Wedge finally disappear.

"You have a vessel incoming. All security protocols matched."

"Thank you." Han switched off his comlink and watched with baited breath as the ship easily cleared the hangar bay doors and landed perfectly in the space next to the _Falcon_, a slight hiss of satisfaction emerging from the jets.

"Han!" Leia rushed from the turbolift and ran into his arms. He closed them around her and they waited as the whine from the _Lucky Strike_'s engines died down into nothingness.

"Luke's home, Sweetheart, where he belongs."

"I know," she said, wonder in her voice. "I can feel his presence. But will he stay?" Leia's voice was calm but a muscle worked in her cheek. It told Han that she feared his answer and he couldn't honestly reassure her. Coruscant wouldn't suit Luke. He knew that as sure as his heart pumped the blood keeping him alive.

"I can't answer that, sweetheart. Luke will do what he wants and needs to do - we know that now. We can only support him in his endeavours but he'll never travel so far from us again. It's been just as hard for him as it's been for us, of that I'm certain."

"I know." Leia wrapped her arms around herself, stamping her foot impatiently. "What is taking them so long?" she almost wailed at Han.

"I…"

There was a grinding noise and then a burst of sound as the ramp began to lower. Leia began moving forward. 'Luke,' she sent anxiously.

And then he was there, standing at the top of the ramp, running down towards them. "Leia…sister!"

"Luke…oh, Luke!" Leia flew into his arms.

Han could only watch, feelings of joy and thankfulness welling up inside him. He'd no idea he would feel this way as he watched his fiancée embrace her brother. No one existed in the universe but them for one heartfelt moment.

"Luke," Leia whispered.

The young Jedi drew away from her without letting go and stared into her eyes searching for something and then he smiled. His face lit up and he twirled his sister about him, laughing at the sounds she made as her feet left the ground. "So he's asked you then?" he asked, in a voice that only she could hear. "About time."

"What!" Leia exclaimed, blushing.

"I can sense it. You and Han…" He shrugged. "You feel like one…whole... It's how you were meant to be and I'm so glad of it. You need each other."

Han didn't know what made him glance back at the Lucky Strike's entrance hatch. A silent figure was watching the ecstatic reunion. Han tipped her a small salute.

"Han!" Luke called opening his arms. And then it was just like back on Yavin IV when the Kid had fired the shot that blew up the Death Star. The Corellian shoved all his cynical dignity aside and joined in the embrace with two of the people who made his world worth existing in.

"Good to have you back, Kid," he muttered and wasn't ashamed of the tears in his eyes.

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

As Mara Jade stood watching the embracing family, she tried to use her Force sense to examine the swirl of emotions overlaying what she was seeing and feeling. She had felt Luke's anticipation rise as final landing approach took place. The young Jedi was out his seat and moving quickly to the ramp the moment the landing feet made contact with the bay floor.

"Luke…" she'd said but he'd already gone to the couple waiting outside. The emotions buffeting her psyche now were beyond her experience. And the strength of them! They went well beyond any she had ever felt, even from Vader or the Emperor when their anger was at its peak.

A keen sense of loss, longing and desperate happiness swept through her. Was this what love was? This wasn't romantic love but familial love and there was in the air a sense of something Mara had never experienced. She pushed away the strange feeling of envy and responded when the Corellian, Solo, tipped her a quick salute.

She didn't need such things to be content. The Emperor hadn't encouraged her to think in that way – it made people weak. But did it? Luke Skywalker appeared to gain strength from his sister and his friends. Another miscalculation from Palpatine? The sound of wheels along the deck panels made Mara turn her head. Artoo Detoo joined her to stand at the top of the ramp.

The little droid twisted his domed head from side to side and finally offered up what Mara took to be a thoughtful series of beeps.

"You think he looks happy, too, do you short stuff?" She sighed. "I'll agree with you there. Too often he doesn't."

Artoo beeped again.

"He missed them," Mara translated from Artoo's screen. "I guess he did miss them by the way he's acting and by the look of things they missed him back." Mara suddenly realised that she didn't miss Palpatine's presence the way that Luke had obviously missed Leia and Han. And why was she worrying whether or not Luke Skywalker was happy?

Suddenly Luke turned his head and gazed straight into her eyes and even in the dim lighting of the hangar Mara felt as if his blue eyes were brighter than ever before, seeing straight into the depths of her soul.

"Come and join us, Mara," he called. "And bring Artoo."

That man and his droid. He definitely treated the little Astromech as if it was a sentient being. Reluctantly, she moved down the ramp towards them with Artoo trailing at her heels like a pet pitten. "I didn't want to intrude," she murmured quietly, feeling like a voyeur.

Leia clutched at Luke as if she was afraid he was going to disappear again. "No, you're not intruding. It's alright, Mara. You brought him back to us and in one piece. That's more than he usually managed by himself. We want to thank you."

"Hey! " Luke protested. "I wasn't that bad."

"I think you were, Kid," Han said, ruffling the Jedi's sandy hair affectionately. "We actually have a bacta tank in the Coruscant medical centre dedicated to you." The Corellian's usual sardonic smirk had gone and in its place was a fully-fledged grin of sheer delight.

"You can let me go, sister," Luke said with a smile. "I won't vanish and look - I'm fit and well. No bacta tank needed."

The Alderaanian princess glanced at her brother and then at Mara standing awkwardly in front of them. "Thank you," Leia breathed, her dark eyes full of emotion as she moved to hug Mara. The red head stood stiffly, unsure of what to do in this situation. Why did people have an urge to throw their arms around her lately? She'd never been touched until Skywalker had started it. She wasn't a touchy-feely kind of person. Skywalker, on the other hand, was. She'd noticed he had the tendency to place a comforting hand on her shoulder or pat Artoo's head affectionately. She would miss that about him, she supposed. She wasn't so sure if she was ready for everyone else to start treating her the same way. It wasn't the kind of image she normally wanted to portray. She supposed it was alright once and hoped that Leia didn't plan on making a habit out of it.

"Let's go home," Leia said, linking her arm with her brother's. "We can arrange a meeting with you, Mara, to settle the final terms of the contract."

"Of course," Mara murmured, inexplicably feeling a pang of regret course through her. That's all it was, after all. She'd had a job to do and she'd done it. End of story.

There was a sudden silence and Luke's forehead furrowed thoughtfully. "I'd better help Mara secure the ship." He didn't feel right about waltzing off with Han and Leia and leaving Mara to do all the work. They'd spent too much time together and he didn't feel like a paying passenger. There was something almost…sad about it. Not for the first time since he'd met Mara Jade, Luke sensed her very aloneness. Talon Karrde was somewhere in the Outer Rim and not on Coruscant to meet her.

"Do you have accommodation?" Luke asked, his voice concerned.

Mara nodded. "I have an apartment in a building that Karrde owns and if that's not ready for me, there's plenty of room on the ship. I have a perfectly adequate cabin there. I'll be fine, Skywalker. You don't need to worry about me."

Luke grinned and turned to his sister and Han. "I'm assuming that I'll be staying with you for a few days."

"You assume correctly, Kid," Han said.

"It will be more than a few days," Leia interrupted. "You owe us that much."

Luke looked reflective and then nodded. "I do, don't I."

"Come on, then." Leia began to tug at Luke's arm.

He glanced towards the silent redhead but she wouldn't meet his gaze. "I still have stuff in Mara's ship," he said, unwilling to just leave her alone. He knew that Mara had spent too much time on her own.

"It will keep until tomorrow." Mara tossed him his duffle bag. "I'll meet you here later on and we can discuss where you want to store your things."

Luke held Mara's eyes for a minute and then nodded. "You are sure that you have somewhere to go?"

She scowled at him. Why was he making such a fuss? "Of course I'm sure, Farmboy," she muttered irritably. "You're not my keeper."

"_Farmboy!" _Leia mouthed towards Han, not sure if it was an insult or an endearment.

"I'm going to have to head to Karrde's Coruscant headquarters and check in before I do anything," Mara stated smartly. "He keeps it permanently staffed these days as it's good for business." She jogged back up the ramp and appeared again seconds later wearing a cloak and carrying a duffle bag not unlike Luke's. They watched as she closed and secured the hatch. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said and with a brisk, purposeful stride headed towards the same lift tube that Wedge Antilles had taken earlier.

Luke's eyes followed her figure until she vanished from sight. It just seemed wrong somehow. He had his family and Mara had no one. It suddenly struck the young Jedi that the relationship he had enjoyed with Mara whilst on and travelling from Dagobah had the quality of two children playing house. He wondered if he and Mara could ever do such a thing for real. Perhaps now that they were back in their normal everyday existence things would change, the closeness they had developed would vanish and her hostility would return. Luke hoped not. For he was a Skywalker and, yes, he was almost certain that he might be in love with her.

'_The Skywalkers love on sight and forever.'_

The words continued to haunt him.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Several hours later, Leia hummed happily to herself as she readied herself for bed once more. She'd seen Luke settled in her guestroom where he belonged and after her one appointment tomorrow she had several days to devote herself entirely to him. It had been over three years since she'd been able to do that. In the next day or two, she and Luke would be able to have a really good discussion of what his role would be in the New Republic. There would have to be a press conference of some sort and then she had a party to plan…a celebration to let his friends know that Luke was home and safe. Then there was the fact that Han had asked her to marry him. It was the first thing they had told Luke when they'd reached Han and Leia's comfortable apartment. That would mean another press conference or she could arrange to have both matters dealt with at the same time.

Leia smiled as she remembered Han actually asking Luke for his permission. "What would you have done if he'd said no?" she asked curiously.

"Married you anyway," Han said, thumping heavily onto the bed and pulling off his boots. "I might have kidnapped you or we could have eloped. I'm still in favour of that option. I'm not sure why we let Mon Mothma sucker us into a state wedding."

"No, nor am I."

"I can't believe that the Kid suspected our plans."

Leia shook her head and smiled a little smugly. "He knew," she said. "He took one look at me and muttered that it was about time."

Han straightened up, his eyes widening. "And he let me stew for the next hour, the sly...!" He bit off the words he was going to say at the look in his fiancée's eyes.

"I cannot believe that you were so nervous," Leia murmured.

"I can. It's easy when something matters so much."

"It's Luke. He loves us both and knows we are happier together than apart."

"What are you thinking about?" Han asked. He knew she was planning something.

"What Luke will do now that he's home."

"Don't you think that he'll have some ideas about that?" Han pulled off his shirt, dropping it on the end of the bed and turned to face Leia. "I think we should wait and let him tell us what he wants to do. He's changed, Leia. He's different, more assured…calmer and certainly more powerful than he was when he left us. Even I can feel it and I don't have the Force. He's not going to sit tamely by and let you and the New Republic politicians decide what he's going to do with his life."

Leia sighed deeply. "I know. I'm holding onto my happy dream for a few more days that he'll stay with us here on Coruscant and help me with what I'm doing. But if I continue to do that and expect him to jump to every whim the New Republic has, he'll disappear on us again. His main focus is the Jedi. People do change but he's still Luke, still stubborn and he'll do what he has to for the Jedi and the Force. I do remember exactly why he left."

"Because they weren't letting him be what he was trained to be?" Han slipped into bed and drew the covers up to his chin.

Leia glanced at him, the expression on her face a little guilty. "The Alliance ruling Council, including me, was guilty of taking my brother for granted. We would have sent him on difficult mission after mission, which, yes, is part of what a Jedi does, but he was doing it alone and in his opinion, not fully trained. He went from rescuing you on Tatooine directly to the final battle on Endor and from there straight to Bakura. He finished healing himself from his run in with Palpatine and Vader on the way to Bakura. There were already plans drawn up for his next assignment. There are no other Jedi to take the burden from him."

"He shouldn't have to continue doing things alone. Luke wants to be able to train Jedi."

"Yes - like it was in the old days." Leia reached out her hand and after a couple of moments the light went out. "I'm still not very good at that," she muttered, breathing heavily.

"Should you be using the Force for such trivial means?" Han said with a grin.

"I didn't want to get out of bed again," Leia said. "And I'm practising my use of the Force. Luke should be pleased. But it will be a long time before I have any mastery over my abilities." She nestled against Han, her voice low in the darkness. "I feel complete again for the first time in three years. Not finding one another until we were eighteen made it difficult to be apart for so long."

"Things will work out," Han murmured through a yawn. "I still say we hotwire a tracker into his skin just in case he vanishes again. That way we will always be able to find him."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Leia's morning appointment turned out to be as brief as she had hoped. The quick visit to Mon Mothma had been enough to deal with upcoming treaty business and also to invite her to dinner later on in the week. Leia decided it would be the perfect time to announce her engagement to Han now that Luke had been told. Mon Mothma was glad that Luke had returned safely and was delighted to be able to accept the invitation.

"Will Luke be available for missions?" the Chandrilan politician asked.

"I would ask him that," Leia had replied guardedly. "But I suspect that at the moment he will not be."

"He wants to find more Jedi," Mon Mothma stated. "He told me so just before he left."

"I think he's even more certain of this now. He cannot continue to function alone. It would be to the benefit of the New Republic."

"I will speak to him but I have the feeling he will decline for the time being."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Luke was not in the apartment when she returned.

Han was lounging on the sofa, reading the schematic of some upgrade that might improve the _Falcon's_ maximum thrust. "He went down to the ship. He did say that he was meeting Jade. Something about helping her with the unloading."

"Oh…" Leia's face fell.

"Come on, sweetheart. You're free now, aren't you? Let's go down and see if we can help them. She needs to get rid of Luke's stuff from the hold if she's going to be able to rejoin Karrde and his group in the Outer Rim. I know he's expecting her."

Except that when Han and Leia exited the lift tube, Mara Jade and Luke were not unloading the ship at all. They were fighting one another, laughing, and their lightsabers flashing as they thrust and parried. Luke noticed his sister first and, with a quick nod and unspoken communication through the Force towards the redhead, he closed down his weapon. Mara followed him, breathing more heavily than the Jedi who hadn't appeared to have broken sweat.

"What are you doing?" Leia asked stiffly. Surely Mara had got over her urge to kill Luke by now.

"What does it look like?" Mara returned impudently, sending a grin at Luke.

"We were doing a little saber work," Luke said quietly. "I didn't think you would mind. I worked with Mara on her technique while she was on Dagobah. She's very skilled with a lightsaber. It's good for both of us to keep in practice."

"As long as no one gets hurt," Han warned.

Luke shrugged. "We're both reasonably secure with what we are doing. Keeping our skills up doesn't do us any harm."

Mara smirked again, somehow knowing that it was aggravating Leia. "Remember, I do want to kill him."

Luke just laughed. "Take your best shot, Jade. You'll find it's not so easy to get rid of me. Oh, I meant to ask you earlier, Mara. Did you find me somewhere to stay?"

"You just got back and you're staying with us," Leia returned evenly before Mara could answer. "The apartment is more than big enough. Why do you need somewhere else to stay?"

"I can't impose on you indefinitely," Luke countered. "It wouldn't be fair under the circumstances." He pointed to a stack of crates and boxes lying at the end of the _Lucky Strike's_ ramp. "All of these won't fit into the storage space in your apartment. I have several more crates just as big as these. I need my own place."

"He does have more," Mara added helpfully, still smirking. "Lots more. I think he's been collecting boxes. Mainly full of Jedi rubbish but he's managed to amass quite a bit."

"We can surely rent you somewhere to store them for now," Han said, scratching his chin.

Luke frowned at Mara and shook his head. "It's not 'rubbish', as you put it. I need what those boxes contain – my books and data cards. I can't just store them somewhere and forget all about them. I have to find as many Jedi artefacts and as much reading material as I can. Many of the clues are in the manuscripts and data files I've already obtained but its still not enough. So much of the Jedi history has been lost or deliberately destroyed. Without locating what is left I cannot properly teach others. So much has been lost, Leia," he repeated sadly. "So many things we can never replace."

"I'll see what I can do," Leia said with resignation. Luke and Mara were both correct. She and Han had a most spacious home considering how cramped Coruscant could be for all but the wealthiest but not if her brother was going to fill it with boxes of Jedi items. She'd not considered the fact that Luke might return with more stuff than he'd left with. But then, he'd left with almost nothing.

They all knew that he wasn't going to be staying on Coruscant long even if Han and Leia didn't want to admit it out loud to his face.

Luke didn't know where he'd be going or when but as soon as Mara's ship had entered Coruscant's atmosphere, Luke had found the planet…wanting and he didn't quite understand why. Besides, he didn't want to crowd Han and Leia – he'd been away from civilisation for three years and had learned to like his own company. They were to be married and surely would not want him cluttering up their home together like some obsolete droid.

"Karrde has empty apartments in several of his properties. I'm quite sure that he'd be happy to rent you one of those," Mara offered slowly. "I can contact him today and ask him, if you would like me to?"

"Could you?" Luke smiled broadly. "Come back and join us for dinner…if that's okay with you, Leia." He glanced at his sister, willing her to agree to his plans. He wanted to keep Mara with him for a bit longer. He turned to the redhead. "Would you have managed to contact Karrde by then?"

"Yes," Mara replied thoughtfully. "I think so."

"You haven't any plans, have you, Leia?" he asked.

"No, not for tonight." Leia hid her disappointment at not having Luke to herself. It was strange but he and Mara seemed to be getting on much better than she had expected that they would. In a strange way, Leia had considered Mara Jade to be her friend, not Luke's. "Please, Mara. Join us?"

"If you're sure?" Mara queried. She could sense that Leia didn't want her but was too polite to say so. Still, if Karrde had quarters that Skywalker could rent, it would solve Luke's accommodation problems. She knew that he needed his own space and, as much as he loved his sister and Solo, he'd become too accustomed to his own company to be truly comfortable with them for very long.

"Please ask Karrde," Luke entreated. He'd felt incredibly guilty when she'd left alone the previous evening because she shouldn't have to be alone and he was thinking of her as family. Luke paused. Mara Jade wasn't technically family but he had strong feelings for her. Just as strong as the ones he had for Han and Leia. Did she have an apartment nearby or had she returned to the ship? She'd certainly been in the hangar early this morning – far earlier than he had. "You're not shipping out already, are you?"

Mara shook her head, the movement making the heavy red-gold plait down her straight back sway. "No, Karrde has some business for me to take care of on Coruscant before I leave. But I cannot delay my departure more than a couple of days. I've been away from the rest of the group for far too long."

Luke could sense her withdrawing from him, moving away from the time they'd had together on Dagobah, and it hurt even though he knew it was going to happen. They'd admitted to their friendship and Luke wanted that state of being to continue. He didn't want it to deteriorate into an occasional acquaintance. Vast distances and busy lives often meant that such connections became like that. Force, she'd cried in his arms and he was sure that Mara Jade never cried. "Mara…"

"You know I have to go."

"I know," he whispered.

Han could see the reluctance in Mara's face and posture but wasn't certain what she was reluctant about. The Kid and the redhead appeared to be communicating on another level – one which he wasn't a part of. The Corellian was aware that Jade had no love for the Jedi when she had left to retrieve him and had very much viewed Luke with murder and hatred in her heart. She'd been very antagonistic towards both himself and Leia in the beginning, too, although the two women had eventually formed some sort of a friendship. He just hadn't thought that Jade would soften as much as she had – not enough to be pleasant to Luke. It was just like the Kid to be able to break through to most people but Han wouldn't have imagined that Jade was one of them. Still, Luke was alive and home with his family and showing himself to be at ease with the icy redhead.

What exactly had happened on Dagobah? How long had they spent there alone together? Han would have liked to know the details of Luke and Mara's time on the isolated world but didn't want to ask.

Leia slipped her arm around Han's waist. "They watch one another when the other isn't looking," she whispered.

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" Han whispered back. "She could still be wanting to terminate his existence. She said that she does. I don't know when she's joking. Can you tell?"

"I don't know. I can't read Luke the way that I used to be able to and…Mara Jade…?" Leia shook her head. "I could never gauge what she's feeling."

"I don't think that I'd want to," Han muttered. "Mind you, she usually told us how she was feeling. She's nothing if not direct and to the point. But they're not acting the way that I would have expected."

"And what did you expect?"

"I really don't know – just not this."

"We'd better repeat the dinner offer."

"And make sure that everything is blaster proof." He winked.

"Han. She's not as bad as all that."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Muunilist**

The cloned soldiers hadn't been quite as Folla had expected them to be but then she'd had little experience with ordinary soldiers. Yes, she'd been trained by the best to be able to fight for her Master's interests but she had primarily concentrated on her academic studies and had worked outside normal imperial channels. Her very independence from the system had been her greatest asset. There was more to winning a war than by just using brute strength. She was able to utilise her intellect.

However, she had now acquired the very brutes that she needed. Her glance around the small community revealed that it had been run with the efficiency of a miniature garrison. They had not, as she'd expected, gone native, blending into the general population of the planet but had retained a relative sense of isolation. Integrating too far into the local community had happened to several sleeper cells in the past and they'd been destroyed because of it. But the survival of the species was still evident amongst the clones. Some had paired off and there were several children already being trained in the Imperial manner with ruthless efficiency.

She'd worried that Isard might have known about this cell but they'd been left entirely alone so maybe she was unaware of their existence. Either that or she hadn't chosen to act yet.

They had to accept her as their leader because she had the correct command codes but Folla wasn't exactly sure what she was going to do. She was an archaeologist, not a guerrilla warfare leader. It was her skill in finding and locating antiquities and artefacts hidden or misplaced by fleeing Jedi that had made her useful to serve Palpatine. Some sort of Force-granted inner sense had guided her to things the Emperor had prized but since his death she'd felt increasingly isolated and adrift from those around her.

She'd had no visions in weeks and was beginning to despair of ever being able to achieve the task the Emperor had set for her. She wasn't even certain what it was she was supposed to do. All she knew was that if she was successful then he would return to lead the galaxy once more.

She needed some sort of plan. It didn't help that the enemy hadn't yet made an appearance…if he ever did.

She stared from an upper view port down into the small training ground in the centre of the compound as the clones drilled. There were three or four basic templates both male and female depending on the tasks they were designed to fulfil. They had been programmed to serve and she needed some decent bodyguards.

"Zero-six-five!" she said sharply to the impassive clone standing beside her. "You will be referred to as Commander Zaltbrast. I leave you in general command of this facility. No one else has the authority to give you orders apart from me."

"As you wish, my Lady."

"You'd better refer to me in public as 'Doctor Rule'. It will cause far less suspicion."

"Of course, Doctor Rule."

"Select two members of each clone template, give them proper identities and see that they have all the data that they need. They will be travelling with me to the Core."

"Yes, Doctor Rule."

"And open up the cloning chambers…yes, I know there aren't very many. But we need to go into production as soon as possible. You have scientists?"

The newly christened commander gave a stiff nod. "Yes, Doctor Rule. We have a small team of the top cloning specialists."

"Clones themselves, I take it?" She laughed. "Rather amusing."

It was better to begin immediately. Perhaps she'd found herself a plan after all.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

17


	33. Chapter 33

**Out of the Shadows 33**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Lena for her encouragement and for Michele and Tad for taking the time to read.

**Coruscant**

Wedge took note of the new ship in the hangar as he returned later the following morning to collect his X–wing and move it to Rogue Squadron headquarters. One had to have top-level security clearance to park anything in this hangar seeing as so many of the top military and political personnel resided close by. It probably explained Han's presence so late at night. Han was a New Republic general after all. He was curious as to the vessel's occupants – the markings on it were certainly not military. It was large, ungainly and reminded him of a smuggler's transport. It was obviously there for a reason.

Wedge took another couple of steps towards his own ship and then stopped. There was a lone figure staring at the X-wings – a lone, familiar figure dressed in black, the set of his shoulders indicating that the man was experiencing something approaching regret. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heartbeat. It couldn't be who he thought it was – could it?

"Hello, Wedge," the figure said without turning round.

"Luke," he managed to utter quietly. Who else would know who he was without even having to glance at him? And suddenly Han's peculiar behaviour the previous evening fell into place. He wasn't performing a task for the New Republic at all. Han had known that Luke was coming home – he'd been waiting for him.

Luke spun around to face the Corellian pilot, his face lit up with a huge grin. "I thought it was your ship," he said wryly. "The Corellian colours plus the two Death Star symbols kinda makes it obvious. There's not many pilots out there who survived both."

"No, we're a rare breed," he acknowledged. "Some of the newer boys prefer the A-wings." He shook his head at their obvious foolishness. "Still can't beat the old X-wing snub fighters in my opinion."

"I agree with you there. We lasted against those Death Stars in them. I'm still not entirely sure how. Force, we were naïve."

"_You _were naïve," Wedge muttered. "I've never met anyone who was as green as you were back then."

"You have a point." Suddenly Luke laughed and the tension they hadn't realised was there vanished.

Moving forwards they hugged each other warmly with a few good slaps on the back for good measure. "It's good to see you finally home, Luke," Wedge muttered. "You've been away too long, Boss."

"You're the 'boss' of Rogue Squadron now," Luke said, with a wry smile at the familiar honorific. "Han tells me you've done a superb job. I wouldn't have expected anything else."

"I was lucky – I had a good commander to learn from." Wedge looked at the freighter. "You came in this?"

Luke exhaled resignedly. "Yeah. My X-wing finally gave up on me a few weeks back. Dagobah's climate didn't agree with it in the end – that and the lack of a decent overhaul. It couldn't be fixed where it was and we didn't have the space to haul it back here."

"Dagobah – is _that_ where you were?"

"Yes."

Wedge shrugged. "Never heard of it."

"That's one of the reasons I was there - because most people haven't heard of it. I can't say that Dagobah is noted for its beauty or its mild climate and the animal life…." Luke shuddered. "…could be dangerous. Ask Artoo. Something nearly ate him once but spat him out when it realised that my droid wasn't organic."

Wedge's eyebrows rose. "I'm glad Artoo isn't digestible. He still holds a lot of valuable data." He glanced around him. "Where is he?"

"I suspect he's still visiting with Threepio as they have a lot to catch up on but then Artoo pleases himself much of the time."

"Droids!"

"Saved my life a few times."

"Mine too," Wedge agreed, chuckling. Sobering, he asked, "But why Dagobah?"

"Why not?" returned Luke lightly. "Dagobah had its uses if not many creature comforts. It wasn't liable to be visited too often and my Jedi Master was still alive at that time." A flicker of pain crossed his face.

"Yoda?" Wedge recalled.

"Yes."

"I take it that Yoda isn't alive now." Wedge remembered Luke talking about Yoda. Like most people, he'd thought the old Jedi Master had been dead since just after Hoth. Apparently he'd been wrong.

Luke nodded. "He died a couple of months ago. Dagobah was his home. He lived there throughout the dark times and it kept him safe from the Empire. In fact, I would suspect that his life force was tied to the planet. It was a good place to go to be trained as a Jedi. It had security, secrecy and anonymity – all the things a Jedi in training needs."

"And no distractions," Wedge chipped in with a chuckle.

"Uh…yes. No distractions." Luke's mouth curved into a smile. Yes, he hadn't had many real distractions until a stunning redhead with a desire to kill him had landed her ship in his swamp.

"So how did you get home if no one knew where you were and your X-wing was no more?" Wedge asked.

"Leia had a general idea of my whereabouts, if not an actual set of co-ordinates. Dagobah isn't on any of the current star charts. She knew the name of the planet but not where it was. Nevertheless, ever resourceful, Leia made the acquaintance of someone who potentially had access to such things and asked them to find me. By the time I was found, I was ready to come home." Luke jerked his thumb at the freighter sitting in the middle of the hangar. "I hitched a ride home with Mara Jade."

"Mara Jade? Who's Mara Jade?"

"She works for Talon Karrde."

"Another smuggler," Wedge said thoughtfully. "We do attract them to our side, don't we?"

"Oh, Mara's not on our side," Luke said cheerfully.

Wedge raised his eyebrows. "Talon Karrde's group like to sit on the fence, don't they? She considers herself neutral?"

"That's one way of putting it," Luke murmured, a wry grin crossing his features. "She's certainly…different."

"She must be." Wedge had long ceased to be surprised about the loyalties of the beings that flew the shipping lanes in search of a living but a smuggler who had known where Luke Skywalker had hidden himself when the rest of the galaxy had absolutely no idea was one to take notice of. Then again, Talon Karrde was well known to many for his ability to stay on good terms with everyone.

"Actually, Antilles," a cool voice said behind him. "I prefer to think of myself as a trader of unusual and exotic goods rather than a smuggler. Most of my work is legal."

Wedge dropped his hand towards his blaster and swivelled rapidly on his heels until he was facing the owner of the voice. Mara Jade smirked maliciously at him. Wedge's jaw dropped at the sight of the slender, redheaded woman. _This_ was Mara Jade? Not what he was expecting at all but she was certainly a woman to command attention.

Mara wandered casually across to Skywalker and positioned herself beside him. All Wedge could do was take an inventory of this woman's…assets. The combination of coldly intelligent green eyes, flawless creamy skin and her vibrant hair added up to a stunningly beautiful woman. Wedge met her gaze and came to his senses instantly. Beautiful she may be but he had no doubt by the state of the hardware strapped against her shapely thighs and the quiet confidence she seemed to exude, that she was well trained and quite lethal with it.

"Hi there, Mara," Luke said, his face lighting up at the sight of her. "Mara, this is Wedge Antilles. Wedge…Mara Jade."

"I've heard all about you," she murmured.

Wedge didn't know whether he or she considered that to be good or bad. He had the feeling that she'd summed him up in an instant and then found him wanting. "Pleased to meet you," he replied, inclining his head politely.

Luke beamed. "Did you manage to contact Karrde?" he asked Mara eagerly.

"I did."

"And…"

"He has a couple of places not too far from here."

Luke's smile grew broader. "So I would be close to Han and Leia."

"Yes." Her voice was clipped.

"Wonderful." Luke's smile widened. "That will please them."

"Close to Han and Leia," Wedge repeated.

"I'm looking for an apartment," Luke explained.

"You're staying with Han and Leia?" Of course, Luke would be staying with his two best friends. They were closer than many families were. They were the only family that each of them had.

"Yes, for the moment I am. But I can't impose on them forever whether they want me to or not. I need somewhere of my own and they need their own space. So I asked Mara for her help."

Wedge felt slightly at a loss at this comment. Surely Leia and Han, as one of the most powerful couples on Coruscant, could find somewhere for Luke to stay. There had to be hundreds of spare apartments at the government's disposal.

"Talon Karrde owns a couple of blocks close to the heart of Imperial Centre," Mara explained. "And Jedi boy here, wondered if there might be some apartments to rent."

"Galactic City," Luke said.

"Imperial Centre," Mara returned coldly.

"Sure," the Jedi replied casually, but there was a glint in his blue eyes. "Whatever. These name changes. I can never remember which of them is the correct version. I guess it depends on who's in power."

Mara sent him one of her patented glares and Wedge could only glance bewildered at them both. There were the makings of an argument but no real heat in their words. There was an ease between the couple as if they'd known one another for a long time but Wedge knew that wasn't so.

Luke continued unperturbed. "I want a measure of independence or I would have asked Leia to find me somewhere to stay. I don't want the New Republic to own everything I do."

Wedge dipped his head in acknowledgement of Luke's reasoning. The Jedi had a point. He had already learned that being part of a legitimate government was quite different from being part of a rebellion. "You're fully trained?" he asked his friend.

"Yes, although I will never stop learning." Luke turned to Mara. "Coruscant is still the heart of the Core worlds and therefore the most important place in the galaxy for most beings. I will need to have a home here until I find a place for the Jedi. You've been here many times before, Mara, and know the whole place like the proverbial back of your hand. In fact, you lived here for years, whereas I've only visited Coruscant once before. You're sure that Karrde has agreed to let _me_ rent one?"

Mara folded her arms across her chest. "Yes, he's got the contract all written out including the vast amount of credits you'll need to afford it. For some peculiar reason he likes you. It could be, of course, that he's never met you."

"I can afford it," Luke said quietly, a strange expression flickering in his eyes. "I'm not destitute. I think your boss and I can come to an agreement."

"You live as if you have no credits," she commented.

"I haven't needed the credits," Luke returned. One of the first things Leia had told him had disturbed him greatly. Darth Vader…no, not Darth Vader. Anakin…his father Anakin, he told himself firmly, had made him his heir. Luke supposed that when Vader made that decision, he assumed that Luke would turn to the dark side and become Palpatine's servant like his father had before him. He now had more wealth than even Han could imagine. He had it and he didn't want it but perhaps one day, the Jedi might need it. It would give them the independence they needed. He guessed that it would be a warm day on Hoth before Leia would agree to share the inheritance. She'd refused to take any part of it and he could understand why she felt that way. "Ostentatious living has never appealed to me," he said quietly. "I'm not used to it."

Wedge got the feeling they were talking about something he didn't understand, there was a hidden subtext there somewhere but not for him. He shifted awkwardly.

Luke shrugged and glanced at Wedge, sensing the other man's awkwardness with the situation. Mara wasn't exactly being at her most friendly and she'd never been effusive in the few months that he'd known her. He had hoped that Mara would have liked Wedge but maybe it was still too early for that to happen. She probably still had him down on a data card somewhere marked 'Rebel' next to Luke's. "I'll probably be here for quite a while and even when I find a permanent base off world I'll still need somewhere on Coruscant close to my family and friends."

"Family?"

"Leia, Han, Chewie…you."

"Oh," Wedge murmured, totally understanding. They'd all lost their original families and had made new ones with colleagues and friends. As for Luke staying around Coruscant, Wedge couldn't see it happening and Luke had already hinted at this scenario. He was serious about setting up somewhere on his own. "This isn't a permanent move, then? I had thought that you might stay on Coruscant and fly with the Rogues again when you were free."

"I can't stay indefinitely. My time as 'Rogue leader' is over. You know that, Wedge."

"I suppose I do. I'd just hoped you'd stick around for longer."

"I'm not sure how long I'll be here. As long as I need to be, I suppose." Luke placed his hand on the Corellian pilot's arm. "I would still like to fly with the boys…and the girls again. If you are doing any manoeuvres let me know. See if I've still got it."

Wedge's dark eyes flickered to Mara and back to Luke. His friend was not the brash young man who had fired the shot that destroyed the first Death Star or even the man who had left the Alliance Battle group after the Bakuran treaty had been signed. This was a fully trained Jedi Knight masquerading as his friend Luke. Or was it his friend Luke accepting the mantle of a trained Jedi Knight? All the masquerading was over.

"I haven't changed," Luke insisted quietly. "Just grown in another direction. Rogue Squadron is yours to command, Wedge, and has been for years. I just hope that you'll let me fly with you sometimes so that I don't get too out of the loop." He grinned at Mara. "I could do with borrowing an X-wing if there are any lying about…spare."

"He wants a new one, Antilles," Mara said sardonically. "I don't know if he deserves one. He ruined the last one he had."

"It was an accident," Luke insisted. "It wasn't my fault."

"I've heard that excuse before," muttered Wedge to Mara. He shook his head ruefully at his friend. "I'll see what I can do."

"And you'll let me come and fly?"

Wedge laughed. "Hell, Luke, you can be in charge of the training run."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Mara asked coolly.

"Absolutely," Wedge said fervently. "Have you seen this man fly?"

"Once or twice." Mara was noncommittal.

"In combat?"

She shook her head. She'd seen some grainy holofootage once but that didn't really count in her opinion. There was a possibility that it wasn't Skywalker who'd been doing the flying.

"Or for the sheer joy of having wings and flying?" Wedge asked.

Mara shook her head again. "No."

"Then you've missed one of the natural wonders of the galaxy."

Luke placed his gloved right hand across his mouth to stifle his embarrassment. He still wasn't used to being praised so extravagantly. "Wedge," he muttered, his face beginning to colour. "If you're trying to impress the lady on my behalf it won't work."

"You must be a romantic, Antilles," Mara said almost enjoying Luke's discomfiture.

"No, not really. I see myself as a pragmatist."

"You joined the Rebellion - that's where all the romantics ended up."

Wedge narrowed his dark eyes. This woman was trying to goad him into saying something he shouldn't. These tricks might work on some people but Wedge found the best way to deal with it was to keep his focus and not react. "Then I'm a romantic and glad to be so," he agreed mildly and was pleased to notice the brief flash of disappointment in the redhead's green eyes. "But we won; for that reason alone I must have thought our prospects were realistic."

Luke grinned. "You've just proved yourself to be the pragmatist, Wedge, by not rising to Mara's bait. She likes to keep people off-balance."

"I like to keep alert in any situation," Wedge said dryly. "I don't know you, Mistress Jade; therefore, I like to keep my options open."

"Around me, Skywalker, don't you think it's better to be alert?" Mara's glance at Luke was sly.

The Jedi shook his head wearily. "Oh, the 'still trying to kill Luke Skywalker' fixation. Mara, I don't believe you will do such a thing but if you eventually decide on that course you have to take your best shot. I will, of course, try to survive."

Mara chuckled. "Fair enough."

Wedge no longer wondered if he was missing something. He knew he was. The _'still trying to kill Luke Skywalker' _fixation? This woman wanted to kill Luke? He didn't appear to be too worried about it. There were definite messages passing between the Jedi and the trader. He'd never heard of this woman before but Luke appeared to know her very well. Again, it crossed his mind that this woman had known where Luke Skywalker had hidden himself. It was something he would think about later but for the present all he said was, "So, do you want me to set up a day for you to come flying with the Rogues again?"

"Definitely," Luke said.

Mara tilted her head to one side and gave Luke an assessing stare. "Perhaps I could also be included in the exercise. I have done many hours in the simulator and have flown an X-wing…but not in combat."

"I thought you were leaving Coruscant tomorrow."

"I can extend my time here for a day or two longer. I'll make the hours up in hyperspace. As long as I join Karrde's group soon, he won't mind."

"That would be good, Mara. You could be my wingman."

"Or you could be mine," Mara shot back swiftly.

"Perhaps I could," Luke returned smoothly.

"However, I suspect that Karrde will expect me to join the group as soon as I can."

"Then our day will keep," Luke promised, his eyes holding hers.

"I'll see what I can arrange," Wedge said helplessly. "Luke will let me know when you wish to fly with us." What else could he do or say? This was a new side to his long-time friend. The two of them were almost…flirting…and he couldn't recall Luke behaving quite in this fashion with a woman before. The Corellian pilot wondered what Leia Organa would think about this. She was happy with Han, he knew that, but there was a possessiveness about her where Luke was concerned and Wedge wondered if anyone would ever be good enough in Leia's eyes for the Jedi.

Mara arched a slim red-gold eyebrow. "Excuse me, gentlemen. I have a ship to move." She flipped open a small hand-held com. "Artoo, I suggest that you leave Skywalker's stuff where it is. We've found him somewhere to keep all his Jedi rubbish."

"Mara," Luke said warningly.

"Don't be so stuffy, Skywalker," she retorted.

"I'm not stuffy and it's not rubbish." His eyes widened. "Artoo's with you?"

Mara nodded. "Your astromech said that Threepio, or whatever your protocol droid is called, was making his circuits malfunction."

"Threepio can do that to you," Luke agreed. "Artoo likes Mara," he told Wedge simply. "I cannot understand it myself. All she does is threaten him."

"Listen, shortstuff…" Mara quietly snapped into the com and then blinked. "He cut me off!" she exclaimed." "Your kriffing droid cut me off!"

"Well, you did threaten him. See Wedge, I told you."

Mara's brows drew together, irritation written on her face. "I do not threaten your droid. He talks too much for an astromech. You should have his memory wiped on a regular basis."

Luke smiled and shrugged. "What more can I say? She knows I would never do that to Artoo."

Wedge checked his chrono. "I'll be in touch, Luke. We can arrange a flight time for you then and I'll see if the New Republic can spring you a ship. Of course, you may have to do something for them in return," he warned.

"Probably," the Jedi concurred. "Life is a bargain as far as I'm concerned. But I'm not putting that life and the future of the Jedi on hold indefinitely for the New Republic. I'm sure we can work something out."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Luke showed Han and Leia around the apartment he'd chosen from what Karrde had available. His sister would have preferred her brother to be with her but this was, as Mara had told them, very close and it was exactly what Luke required with a large open living area leading out to a balcony and private landing pad. There were a couple of extra bedrooms on the lower floor which could be used to store Luke's Jedi artefacts.

"There's even enough space on the balcony so that I can do my workouts."

"There is a perfectly adequate gym complex close by. Leia and I are both members," Mara remarked.

"This will do me fine," Luke murmured.

"It's not big enough," Leia had at first protested.

"I'm a Jedi Knight, not a New Republic Councillor. It's bigger than anywhere I've ever stayed in my entire life. I only need so much space to live in. This will not be my permanent home and I'm not planning to entertain. Until I find somewhere permanent to rebuild the Jedi, this will do."

"Luke…" Leia began.

"You know that, Leia. I cannot have a Jedi training school on Coruscant."

His sister didn't look surprised, yet she'd clung to the hope that he'd stay with her. "That is what you want – a Jedi training school? You are the head of the Jedi Order and could have it anywhere you want. The Senate would agree."

"That is what I want," he echoed firmly. "Coruscant is not the right place for the Jedi now. The people do not remember what they once were and could be again. They recall only the lies. And in case you've forgotten, I am the head of the order only because I am its only member."

"That will change," Leia said warmly.

"There are Jedi out there and definitely those with ability." He glanced quickly at Mara. "My task is to rebuild but may not be to lead…"

"I think you will lead them. You have to," Leia murmured softly.

Luke nodded. "Probably. But it will take time and effort on my part to find Force sensitives willing to train."

Leia guessed he was again warning her that he would not be at the beck and call of the New Republic leadership. "You will succeed, I know you will."

"I can't do everything, Leia - not on my own - and there are potential Jedi out there. I've seen them and I've felt their presences. They call to me at night in my dreams and when I seek out a closer connection with the Force through meditation. I have to go and find them and then I must teach them the ways of the Force. Only when I've done that can I truly be a help to the New Republic or to any other faction that needs me."

"Oh, Luke."

"I'm relying on you to help me," he pleaded earnestly. "The Senate will not see everything my way and this time, I cannot compromise. I have to show that I want my independence from the very start and that includes my living accommodation."

Leia had looked around the apartment with new eyes. "You're right, brother dear. This place will do very well." She turned to Mara. "Thank you."

"No thanks needed," Mara said. "The place was lying empty and now Karrde has credits coming in."

"Like he's short of a credit?" Han asked mockingly. "Or he'll rent to any straggler landing on Coruscant tomorrow?"

Mara rolled her eyes. "Of course not. Your little Jedi friend here has good credentials and can afford to pay the rent required."

"You and Han don't need me interfering any more in your lives than what a brother normally does to his sister. I've already given Han my permission."

Leia's mouth dropped open. "Permission," she echoed.

"Yes. I said that he could marry you and that I approved."

Mara stifled a chuckle at the wink Luke sent in her direction. "Congratulations."

"It hasn't been announced yet," Leia muttered, her face flushing.

"I know. Luke told me this morning," Mara admitted.

"You told her, Luke?" Leia said. "We haven't told anyone."

Mara gave the Alderaanian woman a supercilious smirk. "I can be very discreet when I have to. Who would I tell?"

Leia raised her eyebrows. "Do you want a list?"

Mara shrugged, unfazed by Leia's ire. "I suppose you should be thinking about ways to tell the politicians and the press. I'm not sure which group is the worst and I, personally, do not plan going anywhere near either."

"The politicians are worse," Han retorted glibly.

"Han Solo!" Leia exclaimed. "I can still change my mind."

"But you wouldn't." Han put his arm around his fiancée's slim waist and grinned smugly. "She's overcome. Being engaged to a gorgeous guy like me…Oof!" The air expelled rapidly from his lungs as Leia dug her elbow into his midsection.

"You shouldn't have waited for me," Luke said. "But I'm glad that you did. When are you making the official announcement?"

"I've invited Mon Mothma and one or two others for a small dinner party tomorrow night. I thought I could tell her then and also introduce your return into society." Leia held up her hand to forestall Luke from interrupting her. "No, I haven't told anyone that you've come back.

Luke scrunched his face into a scowl. "Do you have to tell anyone that I'm back? They could just find out from seeing me around. I'm not hiding my return but…"

Mara shook her head. How naïve could he be?

"You still hate anyone making a fuss, don't you?" Leia patted her brother's arm. "Tough, get used to it because it will happen."

"Not if I don't let it," he muttered to Mara. "I'm not the rebellion's poster boy."

"No?" Mara shook her head. "I think that's exactly what you are."

"I can't be that. The Jedi are too important." He glanced at his sister. "If I keep quiet and occupied, they'll forget about me."

"If you say so," Mara murmured. "But I doubt it."

Leia nodded slowly. "I agree with you, Mara. Throughout your time on Dagobah, Luke, never a week went by when there wasn't some speculation on your whereabouts."

"Why anyone would want to know where he is I don't know."

"They do if they want to kill me," Luke muttered under his breath and Mara sent him a sharp look.

Mara took a deep breath and after another glare at the Jedi smiled at Leia. "I have to get back to the ship and check it for departure. Karrde is getting impatient." She sensed Luke stiffening beside her but there was nothing he could do to make her stay. She turned to look at him. "I'll be in touch." She wanted to say more but the Jedi shook his head.

"No - it's not time." His blue-eyed gaze caught hers and held her attention. He was trying to tell her something but what?

"Not time?" Han questioned. "Not time for what?"

"Nothing," Like dismissed quickly.

Han's stare was disbelieving but he didn't say anything. As long as he'd known him, the Kid was usually up to something. He'd land himself in trouble sooner or later and then Han would have to go and get him out of it. Or that was the way it used to work. He wasn't sure if he knew this calm stranger with secrets in his eyes.

"I'm just the same," Luke said.

Han didn't ask him how he knew what he was thinking. These days, Luke always knew. It was damned unsettling. But, he reasoned with himself, the Kid had been a little strange from the beginning. He could live with that but he wasn't clear in his own mind why Luke had suddenly turned so friendly with Jade. "Sure you are."

"I'm as much the same as I was - as you are."

"Now you're just getting confusing, Junior."

Luke grinned. "Told you I was the same."

Mara closed her eyes and opened them to see if she was dreaming. No, she wasn't. They were all still standing here having a non-conversation. She'd wasted enough time with these people. "As I said, Skywalker, I'll be in touch."

"Clear skies, Mara." He didn't add that he'd miss her - but he would.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

From the privacy of her own apartment, Mara opened the link between Coruscant and Talon Karrde's base on the planet Myrkr.

"Talon!"

Karrde leant back in his nerf-leather chair and grinned. "Finally, Mara. I was beginning to wonder what had happened to you. You said you would contact me after you'd shown Skywalker the property. That was yesterday."

"I was prepping the ship. It needed one or two things sorted before I leave and I managed to locate those supplies you wanted for a better rate than we got the last time."

"Excellent."

Mara smiled with satisfaction. "I've booked a departure slot for later this evening. I'll be with you in just under a week."

"Good. You deserve more than a little downtime for that last job. You were with Skywalker for nearly three months. It must have been difficult under the circumstances."

"What circumstances?" Mara snapped suspiciously.

Karrde paused, choosing his words carefully. "The Jedi isn't on your list of favourite people…is he?"

"He wasn't so bad," Mara found herself admitting. "I got used to him and he's not what I thought he was."

Karrde pursed his lips thoughtfully. Mara Jade continued to surprise him. "I have a lot of time for Han Solo," he said, "and I was impressed by Princess Leia Organa. They are survivors, Mara. Used to thinking on their feet and getting out of a tight situation with room to spare and a twist to their advantage. It's not unexpected that Skywalker isn't what he's painted to be by some."

"No one ever is," Mara realised aloud. "Skywalker said that." What would people say about her, she wondered.

"It depends on your point of view," Karrde mused quietly.

Mara stiffened. "That sounded like a Jedi saying," she accused. "In fact, I'm sure that I've heard Skywalker say it."

Karrde chuckled, the sound close in her ear even though he was light years away. "What can I say, Mara? I did think that he and I would get on well."

"I never thought you had anything of the Force about you, Talon."

"The Force is in all living things, Mara."

"What!" she exclaimed. Was Karrde channelling Skywalker or even, perhaps, Qui-Gon Jinn? Someone out there was determined that she receive an education in the ways of the Force - or at least remind her of what she already knew.

Karrde laughed again. "Information and knowledge is power, Mara. I have read extensively on the subject but I do not believe that I am touched by such a gift. However, I do like to keep people guessing."

"Skywalker thanks you for the use of the apartment. He believes it will give him a small measure of independence."

"He is paying well for its use."

"He said he could afford it." Mara wasn't sure how that was. "But you wouldn't know it to look at him." She checked her wrist chrono. "I'm closing this place up and heading to the spaceport. I'll contact you again after I finish my first hyperspace jump. I need to revert to realspace to make a couple of nav adjustments."

"I'll be waiting to hear from you."

Karrde cut the connection and steepled his fingers together. The most surprising thing he'd learned over the past week was that Mara had liked Skywalker and, considering how much she'd hated the Jedi before she'd left to find him, that was saying something for the man. He was looking forward to meeting him.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

15


	34. Chapter 34

**Out of the Shadows 34**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Lena for her encouragement and for Michele and Tad for taking the time to read.

**Bespin**

Lando Calrissian brushed a crease from the edge of his powder-blue cape and strode purposefully to his quarters. He was tired – it had been a busy day - but not a hint of that tiredness showed on his darkly handsome face. Production had increased, as had the demand for Tibanna Gas, and it was proving to be a lucrative if wearing endeavour. He prided himself on meeting the demand.

Flashing his trademark gleaming white smile at several passers-by, he waved his hand over the recognition bar next to his private lift. The door slid aside without even a whisper of a sound. He had worked hard for what he had achieved and he expected the best. He never knew when his luck would change and he might have to run for his life. It had happened before but he was going to try and prevent such a thing from ever happening to him again if possible.

Only after the door had closed on his luxurious domain did Lando relax. Running the Bespin facility was something he enjoyed and he made sure that he always looked to be in control. He fancied that it was like acting in one of the top holodramas - he had a part to play and sometimes he wondered if they would see through his act and discover him for the two-bit scoundrel he had been before assuming respectability.

"Baron-Administrator…" Lobot stood patiently waiting, his bald head gleaming in the subdued lighting.

"Any problems, Lobot?" Lando asked, removing his cape and handing it to the cyborg.

"No, Baron-Administrator. Citizen Streen was willingly and successfully placed in stasis."

"They went ahead with it!" Lando exclaimed. "Good. I thought the medical droid was somewhat reluctant to let his patient undergo such a procedure. Something had to happen because the poor man would have had to remain sedated which is not as effective in the long run. In my opinion, he could not have remained conscious much longer without being driven mad."

"It was not carbonite," Lobot said.

"True," Lando's mouth flattened. Mention of carbonite brought up memories of a more traumatic time in his life. "No one is ever to be placed in carbon freeze as long as I am in charge of this facility."

"Citizen Streen was adamant that he be placed in stasis."

"Yes, he would be…poor old guy." Lando poured himself a glass of Corellian whiskey and then slumped into a form-fitting repulsor chair. He took a sip of the amber liquid and sighed. He now had the responsibility of keeping this man in stasis until Luke turned up – if he ever did.

"And Baron-Administrator…" Lobot stood stiffly in front of him.

"Yes?"

"Princess Leia Organa has left a message requesting that you contact her as soon as possible."

Lando sat up straight, his fatigue vanishing. "Leia did?" He grinned. It was too much to hope for that Luke had surfaced but he always enjoyed talking to the Alderaanian princess. Deep down part of him always hoped that she might change her affections to him but it was a vain hope and Han was a lucky man. "Get her for me please, Lobot."

"As you wish." The lights on the bulky headpiece attached to his bald pate flashed as he strode to the nearest computer terminal. "Message received," he announced. "Princess Leia Organa, Baron-Administrator." Lobot gave a stiff bow and left Lando alone.

The holo emitter gave a faint buzz and then flickered into an image of a dark-haired woman. "Lando!" Leia's smile was dazzling. He could feel its power all the way across the galaxy.

"Princess Leia Organa," he greeted her fulsomely, his charm on full power. "You are more beautiful every time I see you."

"Flatterer," Leia said laughing. "Good news." She paused, the smile on her lips trembling. "No, not just good news - wonderful news. Luke has come home. He's alright and he's back where he belongs."

Lando's lips curved into an answering smile. Streen, his problem citizen, would finally be dealt with. "Brilliant. When?"

"Just over a week ago."

"You've kept it quiet. There's been no mention of it on the holo and I keep myself well informed of all things that are important in the galaxy."

Leia shook her head. "No one knows yet. I wanted to announce it immediately from the tallest spire on Coruscant but Luke wasn't too keen on the idea and Han backed him up. My brother wants to remain low key."

"That's not normally in his nature," Lando said, chuckling. "Luke Skywalker - low key? I don't think so." He sipped his drink and then as her words struck him, some of the whisky went down the wrong way. "Wait a minute…brother?" he managed to choke out.

"Luke is my brother."

"Well, I suppose Han is mine. But we had different parents and look nothing alike."

Leia closed her eyes for a moment before taking a steadying breath. It would get easier with the telling. "No, Luke really is my brother. We're twins."

"Twins." Lando echoed.

"That's what I said."

"This is true?" Lando lost his carefully composed air and gaped. She was joking – she had to be. But then, Leia Organa did not normally joke in this fashion and there was something about her expression that told him this was important to her. "Really true?" he asked.

"Yes."

"You don't look alike either and he's a boy…" Lando tried to lighten the mood.

"Fraternal twins, not identical," Leia muttered exasperatedly and Lando knew that he'd succeeded. The anxious frown had gone from her forehead. "The 2-1B on _Home One _confirmed all the tests but he didn't need to. We both just knew that it was right. We knew that it was the truth."

"Does Han know?"

"Of course, he does," Leia said, grinning.

"When are you letting the rest of the galaxy into the Jedi-loop? Luke returning from goodness-knows-where will be major holo news once it gets out as it is, Princess."

"Yes, I suppose it will until the next story turns up to supersede it. We've planned for that one, too. Mon Mothma will give a press conference in the next few days. She will also announce…" Leia paused and seemed to be staring at someone outside the range of the hologram pod. "It's Lando," she murmured. "Do you want to speak to him?"

"Guess I could…" Han Solo's figure appeared next to Leia's.

"Han!" Lando said. "Didn't expect to talk to you today. Thought you might be working on fixing my ship. You better not be ruining the _Falcon._"

Han shook his head. "Best thing I ever did winning her from you, Calrissian."

Lando shook his head, laughing. He could no more take the _Falcon_ from Han than stop wearing stylish clothes. "She's still the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy."

"Saved my life a few times," Han said.

"And mine." Lando stared curiously at the couple - there was just something about them today - and the happiness they couldn't keep from their faces. They must have missed Luke very much indeed.

"Lando," Leia said briskly. "Han and I are getting married."

"Married! When?" The surprises kept coming today, he thought. But was this piece of news really a surprise? Lando guessed that it was inevitable. For a scoundrel, Han had a large nobility streak. Perhaps it came from hanging around with Jedi.

Han's smirk threatened to take over his entire face. "We're getting married as soon as it can be arranged. We were waiting for Luke to come home first. I had to do things right and ask for her hand."

"Luke's your brother…your real-life biologically tested brother?" he asked, just to make sure they weren't winding him up.

Leia gave Han a warning glance. "Everything matches."

"You're not identical, right?" He thought he'd asked that question but he was beginning to get confused.

"Fraternal, remember?" Leia reminded him.

Han rolled his eyes. "What do you think? Leia's a girl and Luke, I'm pretty sure, is a boy. But I haven't examined him closely. I don't lean that way."

Leia's sigh showed her exasperation. "Of course we're not identical. We were hidden to keep us both safe. Perhaps it's a good thing that we don't resemble one another."

"No, you don't look alike but sometimes when you smile…" He could see it now. The resemblance was fleeting but it was there. The elusive arrangement of genes displayed in the turn of a head or an occasional smile. "One of you must take more after your mother and the other your father."

"Probably," Leia muttered, her happy expression dimming slightly.

"Congratulations on your engagement and I can't think why you didn't do it years ago," Lando said warmly.

"You know why," Han chipped in with a rueful grin.

Lando shook his head and then nodded. "Of course - Luke."

"Speaking of Luke," Leia said. "I told him about your possible Jedi candidate and he's very interested to meet him and see if he can help him. You said he'd been having problems."

"Yes." Lando's gaze grew troubled. "At first I thought he was an old man with delusions - he hears voices constantly. But it's more than that. He's a gas prospector on Bespin and listens to the wind to tell him when he can make a strike. He's beaten the major companies with all their most recent testing equipment ninety-nine times out a hundred. Recently, someone decided to remove him from the scene." His jaw firmed. "They failed but he was in a real mess."

Han's mouth dropped open. "He must be worth a fortune…poor guy."

"He gave it all away," Lando said. "He cannot live around others."

"What?" Leia frowned, not understanding.

"He said that he heard all their voices in his head and it was too much. He preferred the company of the rawks on Tibannopolis to the people and comforts on Bespin."

"And you are certain he's not certifiably insane?" asked Han, stunned that someone could just give away such wealth.

"The conversations I've had with him have made a surprising amount of sense," Lando admitted thoughtfully. "Although at first I thought like you, I soon changed my mind. I would like Luke to see him."

"Would it help if my brother spoke to him?"

"Not at the moment," Lando admitted quietly. "Streen's gone voluntarily into stasis. I would bring him to Coruscant but I don't think it's a good environment for the old man. Too many people"

"You sound as if you've grown fond of him," Leia remarked.

Lando sighed. "I don't know. I've spoken to him a couple of times and I feel sorry for him. He doesn't fit into any place."

"Luke will know what to do, buddy," said Han.

"That's what I thought," said Lando. "Streen needs someone to help him. Luke has this rescuing people complex."

"Tell me about it," Han commented wryly.

Leia checked a data pad. "I'll get Luke to contact you himself when he's free. He's in all these meetings with Cracken and Mon Mothma this week."

"Thank you."

"And make sure that you're able to come to Coruscant for the wedding," Han said. "It's going to happen as soon as we can arrange it."

"I wouldn't miss the most important socio-political event in the galaxy," Lando replied just before cutting the connection.

"Nerf," stated Leia.

"But he's right," said Han, his trademark smirk in evidence.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Coruscant**

A week had passed and although Kam hadn't totally relaxed, he was beginning to think that their encounter with the Force-strong red-headed woman hadn't had any consequences. Still, the worry gnawed at him. Needing to do something constructive instead of sitting around allowing the worry to grow, he stared at the three long wooden poles he'd managed to acquire from one of the machine shops next to the spaceport. Only he and Kelt had lightsabers but the boy wasn't ready to use it yet and he doubted that Tionne had ventured into the mechanics of lightsaber combat techniques in her quest to document the songs and history of the Jedi. That redhead was out there somewhere and he had to start training his little group sooner rather than later. Yet, he didn't think he was capable of training someone like Kelt to knighthood. It wasn't just that he lacked confidence. His fall to the dark side had definitely held him back and there were gaps in his knowledge owing to the fall of the Jedi temple and the death of his father.

"I haven't the first idea how to contact Princess Leia Organa," Tionne confessed, as she entered the crew area.

"Would she see people like us?" Kelt asked from his seat next to the bulkhead. "She's a Princess," he finished lamely. "We're far from mixing with those kinds of people."

"Organa has a good reputation," Kam said thoughtfully. "She would listen to us if we can get close enough. It's the getting close enough that's the problem."

Tionne, Kelt and Kam sat around the tiny table in the Lore Seeker's crew quarters finishing off their frugal rations for the day. They didn't know how long they might have to stay on Coruscant, making every credit they had precious. They could stay on the ship and not waste resources on the cheap flophouses around the spaceport. Both Kam and Tionne were used to finding inexpensive sources of provisions. If they were careful, they could live quite adequately.

"We should visit the government offices. They're housed in part of the old Imperial Palace buildings." Kam said this with a faint air of distaste.

Tionne glanced up at him. "Problem?"

"No…yes. I spent too much time there for the wrong reasons," he admitted. "I still feel the taint in the air."

Kelt wrinkled his forehead. "What's in the air?"

Kam steepled his fingers together, the tips touching lightly. "Have you never walked into a room and sensed things from the past? Feelings…images?"

The younger man thought for a minute. "I'm not sure. Some buildings or places have a good feeling and others…I don't like them and I can't explain why."

"Exactly. The Jedi can sense such things and the Imperial Palace has associations for me because of things I wish had never happened." He turned to Tionne. "Don't worry."

Her pearly eyes widened. "I wasn't worrying. You're a strong man."

"You get that look in your eye, my lady, and I know that you're worrying about us."

Kelt gave his rarely heard chuckle. "Kam's right, Tionne. You fuss over both of us like a mama bantha with her cubs."

"Neither of you is as woolly," Tionne said affectionately. She'd known these two men for so little time, yet could not imagine not knowing them. Kelt was understandably still reserved with them, the loss of his family fresh in his mind and his trust slow to be granted. She glanced up at Kam again and, catching his grey-eyed regard, coloured delicately. Kam's reserve was ingrained and she didn't know if he would ever truly trust anyone ever again.

"I think we need to check out the government offices. We can petition to see Princess Leia Organa or at least someone in her staff retinue. Then it's in the hands of the Force."

Tionne thought hard. "Kam, what about the archaeologist you worked for on Kaellin III. Isn't she based on Coruscant at the university?"

"Doctor Rule?" he replied. "I did think about her but she spends more time off world these days looking for artefacts and attending important digs. She considers herself an expert on the Jedi."

"Was that allowed under Palpatine?" wondered Tionne aloud.

"Palpatine had to have a tame expert to help him identify the things he confiscated and stole. He was very well read but he liked to have an expert on hand to check. I hadn't realised when I started working for her that she was the one. She was just doing her job. Although…"

"What?" asked Tionne.

"I don't know. It's nothing…just a feeling. But she's not as good a Jedi expert as she thinks she is."

"You didn't offer to help her? You would have knowledge that she does not."

"Jedi in hiding, remember?" he muttered. "And a former dark Jedi in hiding at that. I was lucky to have a job at all for a few months. She didn't know that she had a Jedi working for her. But you're right, she could help us. She may be able to contact Princess Leia Organa for us."

"How will we know where to find her?"

"The university will know where she is but the best place to find information would be on the holonet. She likes to keep her public profile high. I heard her saying once that it helped her get access to funding and locations."

"One of those people that spends more time in the air travelling than on the ground," murmured Kelt.

"Probably," muttered Kam. "I'm like that myself."

"So am I," agreed Tionne. "But then we lost our reasons for safely staying in one place. We lost our homes."

Kelt tilted his head to one side. "I'd never left Osarian until after my family was killed. I'd travelled away from Osar to other towns but I'd never been off world before. Like you, I have lost my home. I can't see myself ever going back there."

"Maybe one day you will," said Tionne. "For closure."

"Maybe," agreed Kelt softly. "But it doesn't seem important to go back. Perhaps I have that already."

Tionne placed her hand on Kelt's arm in a comforting gesture.

"Time for your exercises," Kam said mock sternly and smiled as Kelt groaned.

"I'm still sore from yesterday's workout," he complained.

"You're not the only one," mumbled Tionne. "I've got aches in places I didn't know were places."

Kam's grey eyes strayed to Tionne's shapely derriere. "We'll finish this and then we might as well go and see what we can find out about Doctor Rule's whereabouts or if Princess Leia Organa would like a visit."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

It shouldn't have surprised Luke how much he missed Mara now that she was gone but it did. Leia and Han kept him busy; his reintroduction to the galaxy was tiresome but had to be done. He hoped that the furore would eventually die away as he wasn't courting the press. But he had appeared in public at a small reception organised by Mon Mothma and waved and smiled before retreating to his sister's apartment.

As predicted, the announcement of Leia and Han's engagement and subsequent wedding plans removed his name from the headlines. He had work to do and a future to plan for and in a hastily arranged meeting with Mon Mothma after the reception had outlined his plans.

"Madam President," he said, bowing his head deferentially.

"Commander Skywalker." Mon Mothma moved forward to embrace him. "It's good to see you again. I hope you are not planning to disappear on us?"

"No – not for the next few months," he murmured. "I don't think Leia will let me."

"Commander…"

"I resigned my commission remember," he said gently, a warm smile on his face. "Just Citizen Skywalker or…Luke will do."

"Jedi Skywalker?" Mon Mothma's answering smile brightened the entire room.

"I have completed my training and therefore 'Jedi' would be acceptable in public but you know that you can call me 'Luke'. We've been through too much for such formality."

"I do." Her expression became serious. "Luke, your sister was worried about you. We were all worried about you."

Luke's face lit up. "Leia told you?"

"Yes, she told me."

"What did she say?"

"Not much. Just that it had been discovered that you were twins, hidden away because of your Jedi heritage and that news would probably soon become public. She didn't want me to find out from other less reputable sources. Now that I am aware of the situation I can give you both support if it's needed which I doubt it will be. You hold a special place in all our hearts."

"It saved our lives." He couldn't help but feel disappointed. It was too much to hope for that Leia would have told Mon Mothma the rest of their secret. He didn't want to hide it any more but could see that persuading Leia would currently be impossible. "Our father…no, I can't tell you any more. If I could I would." He left it ambiguous so that Mon Mothma might think that he did not know his father's identity. "Our father was linked to Palpatine and the dark side of the Force."

"How do you know?"

"Obi-Wan told me and Master Yoda confirmed it. It was not what I wanted to hear but I had to be told."

"If it kept you safe then it was for the best," Mon Mothma said softly. "I'm glad you had the chance to complete your training with Master Yoda."

"So am I," Luke said gravely.

"The Rebel Alliance and, consequently, the New Republic are beholden to you for what you have done on our behalf. If the Jedi Order can rise again, it can only continue to benefit the galaxy."

Luke stared at his feet, uncomfortable at her words. He hadn't done anything special. He'd only done what he thought was right.

She had gladly offered any resources he needed within reason and to his surprise an order was placed for a new ship. He could have paid for his own ship - he did have the funds - but Mon Mothma had offered. Perhaps he was owed something after all.

A chime sounded on the console and the president turned to see the information on her computer screen. "Leia is waiting for you in the outer office. She has something to show you."

"Leia!" Mon Mothma moved forward to greet the young woman she considered to be her protégée.

"Madam President," she murmured and then smiled, all formalities gone. "I'm taking Luke to the…information store and then I'll return for the Inner Council meeting."

"Of course." Mon Mothma smiled. "We will be discussing the return of Jedi Skywalker and how this can benefit the New Republic."

"Mon Mothma…" Luke began.

"I do understand. You will need time and space. I will endeavour to get the Inner Council to agree with me."

"It is in the New Republic's interest to grant me leave to rebuild the Jedi." Luke was prepared to argue his point.

"Don't worry, Luke. I will do as you ask."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"Information store?" Luke queried, as they left the president's office. "What haven't you been telling me, Your Highness?"

Leia's smile was mysterious. "It's something we found in the palace."

"I'm intrigued."

"Actually, it was Mara who found it…knew of it. She divulged the way to find it and enter it."

"Now I'm really intrigued." Luke's blue eyes twinkled.

"Luke…what do you make of Mara Jade?" Leia asked cautiously. Her brother had been extremely reticent on the subject of the redhead.

"What do you think about her?" returned Luke carefully. He loved his sister but he didn't really want to be discussing the woman whom he'd known for such a short time and yet forever.

"She has a lot of 'issues'."

"That sounds like something that Han would say," Luke quipped, sidestepping the question and giving himself time to think. "You've been spending too much time with the old smuggler."

Leia tilted her head to glance at him, her dark eyes sparkling. "I am marrying him, brother dear."

"I'm glad you are. You shouldn't have waited for me to come home but I'm glad that you did." He smiled and leant towards her his expression carefully neutral. "I like Mara, Leia. I know you think that she has some issues regarding the Jedi and me in particular but I think she's been through a lot – far more than she should have."

"Like us," his sister mused quietly.

"I think she could be a good friend. She's intelligent, loyal to those she gives her trust to and Force-strong. She could become a Jedi one day when the time is right. She's already helped us."

Leia relaxed a little. She'd wondered about Luke's strange friendship with the hostile trader.

"I thought you considered her a friend, Leia?" Luke said carefully as they neared the turbo lift.

"I don't think Mara Jade has friends. I'm not sure that she lets anyone close enough."

Luke glanced at his sister as the doors slid apart. She was a good judge of character. Her training as a politician combined with her Force heritage made her so. "Everyone needs a friend – even Mara Jade. Remember that."

They exited the lift and Luke followed his sister along several marble corridors heading into the centre of the building. "Where are we going?"

"The department for the reclamation of lost art," Leia admitted. "Palpatine stole artefacts from many worlds and we are trying to return them to their rightful homes. Most of this entire floor is given over to storage."

"Where are we _really_ going, Leia?" There was a strange timbre to Luke's voice. He was sensing an indefinable 'something' and he'd felt such feelings before. A shiver ran down his spine. "You're not taking me to view some large urn from Nespis IV. I wouldn't really be interested in it."

Leia sighed. She couldn't seem to get anything past her brother these days. "We're going into the heart of the Imperial Palace."

"The heart – ahh," he said. "I see." He stopped moving and turned to face her.

Leia looked at him curiously, this man she knew so well and yet sometimes felt that she didn't understand at all. "What?"

"Secrets," he said simply. "Knowledge…power…" He stiffened. "Darkness. The heart is black."

She'd known that her brother could see things that couldn't be explained. He often knew what would happen before the event. "Luke…"

"Of course. The heart of the Empire hid its darkness until it was too late."

"Come," Leia said, lifting her hand to clutch at Luke's black clad arm. "It's a secret store room of sorts. Mara alerted us to its location and we checked it out. We found some…surprising items." She led him past a couple of quiescent guardian droids and into what had once been the public waiting room of the department of lost art. She gestured towards a section of panelled wall covered with plaster mouldings of strange beasts. The panelling should have covered the entire wall but Luke noted that one panel had been moved aside revealing a dimly lit passage.

Luke halted at the entrance to the secret room, a little perturbed over the lack of personnel waiting outside, yet he sensed beings within the chamber. "Who knows of this?"

"Cracken, Han and Winter. Our own people only. Those we can trust. We had to let Cracken know so that we could close off the whole section."

"It belonged to the Emperor," Luke stated. It wasn't a question. "The contents hidden within meant more to him."

"Yes, we've gathered that much."

Luke felt horror flicker through his sister's emotions. Whatever Palpatine had stored in this place hadn't been good.

"Mara knew how to get in and out and what some of the contents were." Leia pulled something from beneath her robes. It was an identity chip on a silvery chain and she waved it across a hidden sensor.

"I did think that it was kinda quiet," Luke said with a quiet chuckle. "I should have known that Cracken would make certain that it couldn't be accessed by just anyone."

"The less people aware of this place for the time being, the better." Leia watched Luke as he took a step towards the darkened passageway. But before he could enter, they heard footsteps approaching.

"It's Winter," said Leia.

"I know," Luke murmured as Leia's confidante and friend appeared. "She has a strong presence in the Force for someone not gifted with that ability."

"Princess…Jedi Skywalker," Winter greeted them politely. "You are earlier than I expected. We have just finished for today.

"She knew we were coming," Leia explained. "I told her to expect us. She and Han and a couple of her team have been going through some of the stored articles."

"And?"

"We can't talk out here." Winter looked at Leia for confirmation of this and flipped open her com. "Hegel, if you and Alina could finish up?"

Two aides of Leia's, that Luke recognised from his earliest days as part of the Rebel Alliance, exited a moment later.

"Tomorrow at the same time," Winter instructed them. "Take this, Jedi Skywalker. It will give you an overview of what we have done so far." Holding out her hand, the regal Alderaanian gave Luke a box of data cards. "You'll also be glad to learn that we've removed the first layer of dust and grime."

"But there are more layers to lift?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. This place hasn't been used for several years. I will meet with you later if you have any questions."

"Thank you, Winter," Leia murmured.

"It's no trouble." And with a smile at them both she departed, leaving the Skywalker twins alone.

Luke moved into the dimly lit passage and froze as the sensation of cold evil stole through his body. He took several deep calming breaths.

"What is it?" asked Leia.

"I feel the presence of Palpatine very strongly in this room."

"But he's dead." Leia looked stricken at the mention of the Emperor's name. "How can you feel his presence?"

He's dead, yes, but he's not forgotten. His memory, his legacy, his presence lingers and can yet corrupt. This place was his alone."

"Are you sure?"

"I cannot sense…our…" he hesitated at the stricken expression on his sister's face and continued softly, "…my father here and if he was linked with this place, I would feel it."

Leia walked forward, her silvery, grey robe brushing on the marble floor. "The things we found..." She shuddered. "There were lightsabers."

"That explains it." Luke gave a rueful snort of laughter.

"Explains what?"

"Where Mara got my old lightsaber. That woman has a finely honed sense of irony." He grinned as if remembering something amusing.

"Your old lightsaber?" Leia repeated. "There was a lightsaber missing from the display cabinet and we thought Mara must have taken it butit was actually _your_ old lightsaber."

Luke nodded. "Anakin's lightsaber. My father's saber. The one I lost on Bespin when Vader relieved me of my hand. I never thought that I'd ever see that one again."

Leia swallowed, feeling the bile rise to her throat. _Luke's hand_. Winter and Han had destroyed it before she'd seen it but the thought of it had haunted her.

"What is it, Leia?" Luke asked, his voice concerned. The evil atmosphere in this room was really affecting his sister.

"I don't like this place."

Luke stared around him at the shelves and the various bulging storage cabinets. "I don't think I'm too keen on it either but I must admit that I'm intrigued by the contents."

"Winter and the staff have started cataloguing the finds but some of it belongs to the Jedi and I think you would want to sort through it yourself."

"I would. Thank you."

Leia drew him over to the display cabinet and pointed to the collection of lightsabers. "See, I told you that there was one missing."

"I can see that. Mara must have felt a strong connection to me. She took the right one." Luke knew they had a connection. _'The Skywalkers love on sight and forever.'_ No, he couldn't think of that right now.

Leia gave him a curious look. The saber he'd built for himself on Tatooine hung at his belt. "What have you done with it?"

"I gave it to her." He held up a hand to ward off the impending flood of words he was sure Leia was about to unleash upon him. "Unless I was wrong and you wanted it," he added softly. "It was Anakin's, remember? Our father's."

Leia's face turned hard and there was a pinched look about her mouth.

"I thought not. Then I was right to give it to Mara."

"I'm sorry, Luke. I can't…" she said helplessly. "I can't accept this…not yet - maybe ever. It doesn't mean that I don't accept what we are. You are my brother and I love you and I thank the Force that we are who we are but I cannot accept Vader as my father. To me, Bail Organa will always be my father."

"He was your father, Leia. He made you who you are today and he raised you and loved you. I can understand that as much as I wish you to accept where we both came from. In some ways I wish I could recognize Owen Lars the same way you do Bail Organa but I always felt that he was watching me… I know now that he was expecting me to turn to the dark side. Like father, like son. He did his best but somehow it wasn't enough."

Leia embraced him. "You are a very special man. I'll leave you to have a look around."

"Thank you."

16


	35. Chapter 35

**Out of the Shadows 35**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Lena for her encouragement and for Michele and Tad for taking the time to read.

**Myrkr**

The woman sitting in the luxurious lounge was lost in thought, her chin resting on her hand, her green eyes fixed on a spot which didn't exist on the planet Myrkr. She'd never felt like this before on this world. In fact, she wasn't sure if she'd ever felt like this anywhere. But what made this planet unique amongst so many amazing worlds in the galaxy was that Myrkr was dark to the Force. Once she'd welcomed the peace it had brought her but now things were different. Before, the lack of the Force had soothed her; now she felt its loss very keenly.

Talon Karrde entered the room, his pet vornskyrs Sturm and Drang following at his heels, and stood for a few moments watching his second-in-command as she sat lost in thought, curled up into a large form-fitting repulsor chair. It was an attractive but uncommon picture. He couldn't ever recall Mara being so unaware of her surroundings or so still. He hesitated to disturb her; she could be skittish when surprised. That is, if you could describe a woman who could deliberately singe your nostril hair without harming your nose with a shot from her blaster as 'skittish'. He cleared his throat and took a further step into the room. "What is it, Mara?"

Mara lifted her head and looked at him in surprise. "I didn't hear you come in," she confessed, startled and giving the vornskyrs a wary look of dislike.

Karrde pursed his lips in concern. It was very unlike Mara to be taken unawares. She had been like this since she'd returned from her jaunt to collect Luke Skywalker. He hazarded a guess, his lips quirking into a slight smile. "You were on another planet…Coruscant perhaps?"

Mara sat up properly and eyed her boss suspiciously. "Did you want me for anything in particular?" she asked. "I finished the reports you wanted and left them with Aves. Was there something wrong with them?"

Karrde held up his hands. "I got them and they were fine. There's never anything wrong with your reports and you know that. It was on another matter altogether – a job well done, in fact. I just received a communiqué from Han Solo thanking us for our services and I wanted to pass that along to you." His compliments were rare which made this one all the more important.

"We didn't do anything," Mara muttered.

"On the contrary," Karrde said. "You found Skywalker's hideaway and persuaded him to return to his family."

"No, he didn't return because of me. Yes, I found where he was but there was very little persuasion needed." Mara shook her head. "Dagobah held nothing for him anymore. Not long after I arrived on the planet - and I mean minutes - his Jedi Master died."

"He wasn't alone?"

"Apparently not. After nine hundred years of life, Jedi Master Yoda faded into thin air in front of my eyes."

"So it was Yoda," Karrde said thoughtfully and then frowned. "Faded! What do you mean 'faded'?"

"He just disappeared," she explained. "Skywalker told me that Yoda had become one with the Force."

"Oh."

Mara gave her boss another searching look. How much did Karrde really know about the Jedi? Information was his passion and he liked to keep informed. He'd once told her that it gave him the edge to survive. "It was Yoda," she confirmed. "After that, Skywalker was ready to come home – no coercion required. But don't tell Solo I said that just in case he cuts our fee."

"Too late – I have his credits." Karrde's teeth gleamed as he smiled. The smile faded and he again assessed the woman in front of him. "Are you alright, Mara? You've been very quiet since you arrived."

"I'm never the life and soul of the party, Karrde," Mara retorted.

"No, because you have not wanted to be. But since your return from Dagobah I've noticed a difference in you."

Mara glared at him but the look seemed to lack the usual fierce intensity. "I'm just as dangerous as I ever was," she bit out.

"I didn't mean that, Mara," he said mildly. Talon wondered if he was wise mentioning this at all because speaking of Dagobah would inevitably bring up the subject of Luke Skywalker. Mara had been extremely reluctant to talk about him but the vicious hatred at hearing the Jedi's name seemed to have vanished. She'd been away a lot longer than Karrde thought she would have. He now had a good idea where the planet was and knew the time it took to travel to that area of space and back. It did not take months. What had been happening between Skywalker and Jade? But he knew better than to push for an answer. If she wanted to tell him she would. "You and Skywalker…" He stopped, unsure of how to continue.

"We reached a truce. End of story," Mara muttered. "We're not likely to turn into bosom buddies."

Karrde reached into his pocket and drew out his cheroot case, his elegant fingers extracting one of the thin cigars. But he did not place it between his lips, continuing to hold it lightly between his fingers. Somehow he didn't think that it was the end of the story. Rather, he was convinced that it could be a new beginning. Skywalker might want to train Mara to become a Jedi one day…if she decided that she wanted it.

"Will he help you?"

"I don't need his help," she denied automatically. "I don't need anyone's help; I can manage on my own."

"That's not what I asked," Karrde said gently. "I know you are self-sufficient but you told me yourself that you thought your ability in the Force had vanished until you met Skywalker on Druckenwell. I would have expected you to want to regain what you had lost."

She stiffened, the tension becoming visible in the set of her shoulders. "I can never have back what I lost," she snapped bitterly. "Emperor Palpatine put this natural neural inhibitor in my mind. Did you know that? He was restraining my Force ability – refusing to let it develop naturally." Her eyes widened as she realised what she had said. Luke had already told her this but she hadn't believed him until now - almost as if giving voice to the issue had validated it in her mind. Her Master had really thought that one day she would be a threat to him and had sought to limit her gift. He had no _right _to do such a thing. She would never have betrayed him – she would have died first. Her hands curled into fists, the nails pressing into her soft palms as her anger spiked. She took a deep breath and relaxed her fingers, letting her feelings of betrayal seep into the back of her mind. "Whatever it was in my head, Skywalker removed it." And even as she mentioned Skywalker's name she knew that he would never betray her - ever.

"So you can sense the Force far more strongly now."

Mara's lip curled. "Oh yes. But not here. There's something on Myrkr that blocks the Force…"

Talon looked baffled. He'd read that the Force was everywhere. He hadn't heard of it being blocked or suppressed. She'd never mentioned it before but then, she kept many things close to her chest. He was surprised that she'd told him as much as she had. Now, he did know that the trees on Myrkr contained a high metal content which made it almost impossible to scan the world from space. It was one of the reasons he'd built his main base in the middle of the forest. "Blocks it – like the trees fool the orbital scanners?"

As if she was reciting from an information data chip, Mara intoned, "the Ysalamiri block the Force. There's not much that can disrupt the Force but, when they breed in sufficient numbers, these little creatures can."

"Oh, said Karrde thoughtfully. You couldn't live on Myrkr in the middle of a forest without coming across the small tree dwelling animals but he hadn't thought that they did anything other than sleep and eat. "But if you cannot feel the Force on Myrkr, how can you tell that your ability has grown so much?"

"That's easy," Mara murmured. "Watch." She uncurled her legs from beneath her, slipped gracefully from the chair and walked towards Karrde. All at once the two vornskyrs began to bare their teeth at her, their fur standing on end.

"Sturm…Drang!" Karrde said sharply. He couldn't recall this happening before but then, Mara had avoided the animals since her arrival on Myrkr.

She shrugged casually. "If this was a normal planet and the Force was able to flow freely they would have attacked me by now. They use the Force to hunt for their prey."

Karrde was speechless.

"That's what tells me my Force ability is returning stronger than it ever was before. They're reacting to my presence."

"And this is since you met with Skywalker for the first time?"

"Yes, I'm quite certain of it. When I met him on Druckenwell, the effect was like having a glow rod in my hand after being in dim lighting for years. I'd started having disturbing nightmares not long after Endor and as my Force ability diminished the dreams grew worse. It was as if my subconscious was torturing me because I'd failed.

After Druckenwell I don't think I had a proper night's rest until I reached Dagobah. The dreams were worse than anything I had ever experienced. On that strange world I had some peace."

Karrde remembered how she'd seemed so brittle – almost ready to snap - and the beginning of her opening up to him. Being with Skywalker on Dagobah _has_ helped me to control what I'm doing but how long will it be before my dreams and my nightmares return again?" She walked back to her chair and slumped into it. The chair gave a little quiver and adjusted once more to her body.

Karrde glanced at his two pets, still bristling beside him. He didn't know what to say.

"It's a good thing that those two had their tails docked," she said, pointing at Sturm and Drang.

"I couldn't have kept them as pets otherwise," Karrde admitted. "Those tails of theirs make vicious weapons."

"They used to just ignore me," Mara said quietly, "but now…"

"I'll make sure they're kept at a safe distance from you, Mara." He opened the door and motioned the animals out of the room.

"It's not their fault. That's who they are."

"And what you are isn't your fault," Karrde remonstrated gently quietly noting that Mara would never have made such a statement before she went off to find the Jedi.

A strange smile flitted across her lips. "You're channelling Skywalker again."

"Does he say that?" Karrde raised his eyebrows mockingly. "If he does then I'm in good company."

"You're talking as if he's a good friend," she protested, unsure whether to laugh or be angry. Skywalker was _hers_. "You haven't even met him."

"I like what I hear and he seemed very 'normal' when I talked to him. But the reputation he has gained is very impressive. I wouldn't like him as an enemy."

"You'd like me as an enemy even less." Mara snorted and shook her head, shifting restlessly in her chair. "Skywalker…normal! That will be the day. But he gives the impression of the mundane."

"Could be useful in his situation," Karrde commented thoughtfully. "What's really wrong, Mara?"

"You don't usually want to know our troubles in such detail, Karrde." Her voice took on a tart tone. Her boss was of the opinion that knowledge was power but he didn't usually wield that power over his own people.

"You're distracted and perhaps that will hamper your usual efficiency."

"And has it?" Mara arched a red-gold eyebrow.

"No, but it could."

"I don't believe you. Nothing distracts me from my work," she bit out resentfully. But it wasn't true. The galaxy's sole Jedi Knight was managing to do just that. She looked up at Karrde, her green eyes dark with pain. "I thought being here would clear my head. It always has before."

"And it hasn't?"

"No, not this time."

Karrde moved to a comfortable looking divan opposite her and sat down, the cheroot still between his fingers.

"I could hear Palpatine from anywhere in the galaxy. If he needed me he would call and I would hear him inside my head. When he was killed, the voice died and left me with nothing - just an aching void. I made a new life for myself and then Skywalker grew in power and the voice of my master returned. But he was angry with me – I'd failed him." She stared down at her hands and took a deep calming breath.

"When you ordered us here to Myrkr, I remembered the name of the planet from research I had done on Coruscant when I was looking to eliminate Skywalker at Jabba's Palace four years ago. I found a tablet in one of the Emperor's personal libraries that hinted that the Jedi and the Sith both avoided this place. It intrigued me and I hated the Jedi so I found out as much as I could. When my master was killed I retrieved the information." She gave a wintry smile. "Knowledge is power after all."

"So it is," Karrde returned evenly.

"I had that data and was going to make Skywalker pay. If you wanted us on Myrkr then there was no place that I would rather be. The Ysalamiri cannot exist away from their habitat and I had no way of adapting them for my own purposes, but I came to appreciate the planet for what the Ysalamiri had unknowingly given me. I couldn't needlessly kill them because for the first time in months I had peace. I hadn't expected that. I was in a place where I could relax and recharge my power cells. No angry voices, no one telling me I'd failed, no blinding headaches and nightmarish visions where I saw Skywalker and Vader killing the one person in the galaxy that had always been there for me."

"Mara…"

"No, Karrde," she insisted firmly. "I have to get this out. Force, I'll probably have to repeat it to Skywalker at some point in my life. He's always on about letting your feelings out."

"If you are sure?" Karrde was quietly amazed. The Mara he knew before her trip to retrieve Skywalker would never have been open at all.

She nodded. "Always when I came here before there _was _peace - just me, alone inside my head. I liked that, Karrde. Then I went to Druckenwell and met Skywalker. When I recognised him, the hate I had felt flooded through me again. But he didn't kill me – he gave me a gift. The Force returned to me stronger than ever - including the nightmares and the voices. This continued until I went to Dagobah. And I learned…" She stopped. "I learned that he wasn't who I thought he was and neither was the Emperor. We formed a friendship of sorts after a rocky opening. I began to enjoy having the Force again. It had been so long since I was able to do that. This is the third time I've been on Myrkr and I was looking forward to it but this is the first time that I've truly appreciated what I've lost. I feel deprived of one of my most important senses. I was grudgingly allowed by the Emperor to use _my own_ gift. He had no right." She looked up at Karrde, her eyes mirroring her confusion. "He had no right," she repeated in a whisper. "He was wrong to do that and so was I to trust him."

"Ahh!" Karrde finally understood. She was learning to accept herself in a world she'd felt no part of – that of the Jedi. "I would suspect that your loss of the Force would be like me losing my sight or my hearing. Difficult to comprehend such a thing happening."

"It's strange," Mara admitted.

"Still, the break will have done you good."

"Of course," Mara agreed, but Karrde was unconvinced. She'd had enough of Myrkr for the time being.

Karrde rolled his cigar in his fingers once more before stretching to an automatic lighter on an occasional table behind him. The smoke curled lazily upwards. "You are like me – we work too hard."

"Evil finds work for idle hands," Mara noted wryly. "I like to keep busy." She gave the cigar a pointed look. "And that habit will kill you."

Karrde's pale blue eyes glanced at the smoking cheroot. "One of my few vices."

She gave an unwilling chuckle and didn't tell Karrde that she still had someone inside her head but she'd put him there herself. Was this one of her greatest vices? Was that what Luke Skywalker was to her – a weakness? But she remembered how Luke seemed to gain strength from each of the friends and family he had met upon his return. Maybe she could find the same kind of strength from him as well.

There were some things she couldn't share with her inquisitive boss. He'd learned too much about her personal business as it was. Luke Skywalker's handsome face appeared in her mind every time she closed her eyes. Being on Myrkr hadn't stopped her from dwelling on the time that they'd spent together and hoarding each precious memory as if it were an exotic jewel. There was also the increasing realisation that her once beloved master had used and betrayed her taking her Force gift for his own. She would have given her life for her Emperor but he had not valued her as he should have. Skywalker would not do that to her.

"Aves and Chin are heading into town for some supplies. Do you want to go with them?" Karrde asked.

Mara picked up a data reader lying on one of the occasional tables and slotted in a data card. "Since I'm going on several trips to Force knows where in the next couple of weeks, I might as well take in the local scenery and check out the supplies they have in mind. Not that Hyllard City has the best choice of materials."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Mara and two of Karrde's men, Aves and Chin, left their speeders hidden at the edge of the Southern Forest and headed into Hyllard City on foot. The streets would be far too crowded with citizens to get very far and the vehicle was just a hindrance. They had things they needed to buy and, on occasions, interesting pieces to trade could be found in any location.

Mara glanced at the list of items on her datapad and then looked up at her colleagues in disbelief. "Why do beings want some of these items?"

"Honestly?" Aves asked. "I have no idea."

"A jawa ionization blaster! Those can be picked up on Tatooine for free."

"Collectors," Chin muttered. "If they want something bad enough they will pay for it."

"No offence, Chin," she said to the balding middle-aged man at her side. "but it's unlikely we'll get some of this stuff here." He was a native of Myrkr and knew Hyllard City well.

"None taken. I left here willingly, remember? This world limited my true potential."

Aves snorted dismissively. "You were in trouble with the Commander of the local garrison, Chin, and had to get off-world in a hurry. It had nothing to do with a romantic idea of seeing the stars and setting foot on other worlds."

"So I found my chosen career by accident," Chin retorted, unaffected by his friend's words.

"Dankin is taking the _Starry Ice_ on a run tomorrow to stock up on the rest of the parts and provisions that Karrde wants," Mara interrupted swiftly before things got out of hand. "The Imperial garrison…" she began curiously.

"…was taken over by the local militia after they left. Some stayed. They'd integrated, married local folks – you know the drill. But I don't think they're after Chin anymore. He's too small a crook," Aves finished for her.

"I am an independent operator," Chin replied loftily, "and not a crook. Karrde doesn't employ crooks."

Mara lifted her head and scanned the city skyline and could easily spot the dark grey duracrete of the Imperial construction on the highest point. They never did have any imagination when it came to building things but then it was efficient. Build things to the exact same scale on every world and then it didn't matter which planet they conquered.

"My cousin, Ragnor, is a captain in the militia," Chin said. "I was going to try and see him while we were here. He'll tell my mother that I'm still alive."

"You won't go and see your own mother?" Aves asked, his voice rising in surprise.

"Nah, all she needs to know is if I'm alive or not. We were never close." He gave a toothy grin. "I'll maybe visit next time."

"Oh." Mara couldn't imagine not being close to your mother if you had one. But she had heard that many beings were not. Didn't one insectoid species eat their mothers almost immediately after birth? "Do the militia have a lot to do now that the Empire has left?"

"The usual…petty crime and civil disturbances. Rag said that they were trying to clear up the stuff that had been left behind. Probably finished doing that by now."

Mara tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Would it be possible to have a look around to see if they've left anything…useful?"

"It's been a while since the Empire left but it can take some time to clear out the rubbish when you are trying to reinstate order." Chin looked at Aves and both men began to grin. "I like the way you're thinking, Jade. My cousin would be delighted to give us a tour."

"As we already know…" Mara grinned back at them. "One man's junk…"

"Is someone else's treasure," Aves finished.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Muunilist**

Folla Rule adjusted the frequency of her basic holo-receiver a little. The clouds surrounding the planet did not make for good com-signals but she needed to find out what was going on in the galaxy before she returned home. A news net broadcast would do and then she would get her assistant on Coruscant to send her the news feeds once they were closer to home.

The voice speaking in the refined Core-accented Basic suddenly echoed inside her quarters and then vanished again. She altered the frequency once again until she caught the signal and the voice remained steady. "Finally," she said, smirking in satisfaction but the smile slipped rapidly from her face to be replaced by one of irritation at the first piece of news she had heard in several weeks.

"Princess Leia Organa's nuptials will take place in the newly refurbished senate hall and will be attended by…"

Folla bit off the expletive that almost emerged from her lips. She'd almost thought that they'd never do it. Leia Organa, last surviving member of the royal house of Alderaan, was lowering herself to marry the smuggler, Solo, after all. Such an alliance would never have been permitted were the Emperor still alive. He was no more a general than Folla considered that she was. But he was shrewd and highly intelligent and was therefore dangerous. She'd got the impression that Solo had not liked her even though she had done her best to be pleasant and helpful.

It was possible that the princess could have been manipulated into seeing things the way that Folla wanted them to be – making her the foremost expert on Jedi artefacts in the galaxy - but after several meetings with Organa and the smuggler she'd found herself to be unsuccessful. The Princess had been making certain that any new pieces of Jedi information were being kept for the absent Luke Skywalker's eyes only and Folla burned to know what she was missing. She had a rival with whom she could not compete. He might never return and then time would have been wasted. Her attention returned to the pieces of information the holonet transmitter was still spitting out.

"The happy couple posed for the galaxy's press and were joined by close friend and former Alliance Commander, Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, who has just returned from a lengthy study tour of Jedi sites in the Outer Rim."

"What!" Folla exclaimed aloud, reaching out to stab at the volume control with an angry finger. "He's back?"

"And now, a study on the work of the legendary entertainer from…" The words blasted into the room and she switched it off angrily.

It had been too much to hope that he'd just gone away and died somewhere. "Now I may have to try and finish him off myself," she muttered, anger clouding her vision. The data cards next to her rattled. "I thought he had gone – the Jedi had gone. He shouldn't have survived." But a hint of uncertainty had crept into her mind. Luke Skywalker had been almost a myth for the past few years and she'd known that his training up until his disappearance had been sketchy in comparison to the training she'd received from her master and that of the Jedi Knights of old. Suppose he'd found someone to give him the training he needed. She suspected that she was no match for him if he had beaten both Vader and her Master without proper tutelage. If he had managed to become fully trained...Folla's fear threatened to rise up and swamp her but she pushed it back down. Her plans would have to be stepped up. She could not hope to achieve her task alone. "

Luke Skywalker could not survive – the Jedi could not survive. She would not fail her master.

Opening her com she called to one of her new clone assistants. "Prepare my ship. We are leaving for Coruscant immediately."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Coruscant**

Tionne had managed to get several nights' work singing at a tapcaf close to the spaceport. Usually the two men accompanied her but on this occasion Tionne firmly told them that she would manage alone. The silvery-haired woman had decided that her new 'family' needed some bonding time. This left Kam and Kelt glaring at one another across the small table in the crew quarters. Their relationship had improved but not to the extent that they found it easy to converse. Tionne, the natural mediator, smoothed things over without them realising it.

"Did you see the announcement?" Kelt asked abruptly.

"Which one?" Kam murmured dryly. "There were two big ones this week as I recall."

Kelt's face tightened as if Kam was mocking him. "The Princess Leia Organa revealing her marriage plans – that announcement. We'll never get near her now."

Kam shrugged dismissively. "I saw it. It made a nice change from the other."

"From what other…oh!" Comprehension crossed the younger man's face. "I guess so."

Kam's severe face twisted into a cynical sneer which Kelt thought didn't suit him. "Yes, the holos have been full of Luke Skywalker's miraculous reappearance after three years of completing some Jedi training or inspecting sites of interest in the wilds of the Outer Rim."

"But that's probably true," Kelt said. "He must have had a reason to disappear and those are good ones."

"I'm quite certain that's what he's been doing, but it's the training with a Jedi Master by the name of Yoda that I'm interested in."

Kelt's curiosity rose. This was a name he _had _heard about. "My grandmother talked about Yoda. I thought he was dead. She talked about him as if he was."

"So did everyone. If he wasn't dead, why didn't he come and help us? We needed him." There was pain in Kam's voice.

"Maybe he wasn't able to help." Kelt looked at Kam shrewdly. "We now know that not all the Jedi were killed. My grandmother survived as did you."

"In a manner of speaking I did," Kam acceded reluctantly. He had not behaved in a way that the Jedi would have approved of. "But most of the Jedi were killed. Someone of Yoda's power and knowledge could have made a difference."

"Perhaps he did and sacrificed many to save the few," Kelt muttered. "If he was training Luke Skywalker then he will have made a difference. Maybe Yoda thought that Luke Skywalker was the only hope for the future of the Jedi. If he had been found perhaps he would also have been killed and then there would have been no one able to help Skywalker. My grandmother wanted me to contact _him_."

"Who…Yoda?"

"No, Skywalker - but grandmother just called him 'the young Jedi'."

"He's the only one there is with the proper training so she was right."

"She only talked about Yoda in the past tense."

"She probably thought that Yoda was dead like the rest of her kind." Kam's lips turned up at the corners as a long forgotten memory slipped into his mind. He could see the diminutive figure in his mind's eye and hear him speak in his strange mixed syntax. "No one could ever describe Yoda as young. He was nearly nine hundred years old."

Kelt blinked. "That's more than old," he muttered. "No, my grandmother definitely said 'the young Jedi'. We're putting an awful lot of faith in one man," he said, his brow furrowing. "And he'll be just as impossible to contact as Princess Leia is proving to be. How can people like us contact them? It just can't be done. All we have in our favour is that we have the Force."

"That's pretty good odds," murmured Kam and, as if he sensed Kelt's surprise, he continued, "I met the odd gambler around and about. How could I forget what I was taught? You've just reminded me of a very basic Jedi fact - we have the Force."

"It's not going to get us into the exclusive company of the New Republic elite," Kelt declared mulishly.

"Normally I would agree with you but Skywalker is a trained Jedi and if he senses other Force users are near…" Kam said, a thoughtful expression replacing his cynical one. "Mind you, there is always a risk of drawing the wrong people…"

"The wrong people!" Kelt exclaimed.

"Your family unknowingly drew the wrong people," Kam said by way of explanation. "You and your grandmother together proved to be too strong in the Force to hide forever. That's the only reason I can think of for why you were attacked."

"Oh…but..."

"We want Skywalker's attention."

"Yes."

"Then we must draw him to us. There are three of us – my power is trained; Tionne's, though weak, is constant and you are strong even if you are untrained." He tapped his fingers on the table as he considered his words. "Skywalker will want to gather potential Jedi to him – he has to. We will offer ourselves as…bait."

Kelt's grey eyes brightened. Finally they were going to do something constructive. He was bored with all this sitting around. Granted, he had learned quite a bit from Kam but his grandmother had wanted him to meet Skywalker. She had wanted him to become a Jedi. "So what do we have to do?"

"First, we go and collect Tionne from where she's working tonight." He frowned. "I should have stayed with her but she insisted I stay with you." He sighed wryly. "She wanted us to talk."

"She was unwise to go to the bar alone." Kelt scowled at a pile of data chips on the table in front of him. "She just had to meddle."

"We did talk," Kam said."

"Yes, but I wasn't going to do anything apart from catch up with my homework. How much reading do I have to do?"

"A lot." Kam hid his grin. "It's necessary. There's more to being a Jedi than you think there is."

"She's alright?"

"The bar is in a busy area and is well lit." Kam gazed into space for a moment and then nodded. "She's fine."

Kelt's mouth dropped open. "You actually know that she's fine?"

"I have spent enough time with her that I can pick up on her presence and her emotions."

"But…"

"She is close."

"I still think that one of us should have stayed with her."

Kam shrugged. "She keeps reminding me that she's flown from one end of the galaxy to the other on her own before she met me and I am not her keeper."

Kelt chuckled. "But you'd like to be."

Kam flushed. "Tionne is a good friend."

"Of course she is but you'd like it to be more." He met Kam's disbelieving stare with ease. "How old do you think I am? I finished school years ago. I held a responsible job on Osarian and I've been in relationships. My last one could have become serious if I'd stayed and I didn't look at Seyla the way you stare at Tionne."

Kam paused before speaking. "I was a dark Jedi. I have nothing to offer her."

"I think Tionne is a good judge of character – she's not the type of person to want fame or riches - and I have seen how she looks at you, too. I think she might disagree on what you have to offer."

"Nonsense," Kam dismissed.

Kelt shrugged. "Suit yourself but I think she likes you and if you do nothing it will be your loss." The older man's face looked as if it had been carved from stone. A return to the task in hand was required. "So, what are we going to do to draw Jedi Skywalker to us? We have been together in this ship since we arrived and that hasn't worked."

Kam exhaled slowly. He had been avoiding this moment but couldn't hide from his past any longer. "Tomorrow, we are going to visit the most potent source of the Force on Coruscant."

"The Jedi Temple site," Kelt said, understanding. "Is it still so strong?"

"Yes," Kam stated tersely.

Kelt had discussed going to visit the temple site with Tionne because Kam had avoided the subject like the location of the last outbreak of Candorian plague. "Why are you so reluctant to go there? You lived there from childhood and learned there from the greatest Jedi Masters."

"I saw it at its height and I saw its destruction," Kam whispered, pain visible on his face. "I lost everything. It was too much."

"Because you fell…"

"Yes."

"I want to go because I'm certain that my grandmother was trained there."

"It's probable," agreed Kam.

"Did you know her?"

"Your grandmother?" Kam looked surprised. "No. There were many thousands of Jedi deployed all over the galaxy. And I suspect she would have been much older than I was."

"Tionne will be pleased," Kelt noted as Kam grabbed his cloak.

"Pleased about what?" asked Kam, fastening the clasp at his throat.

"She's wanted to go to the Jedi temple since we arrived on Coruscant but didn't want to go without you. Nor did she want to mention it because you seemed to be rather sensitive about the subject."

"What!"

"We discussed going without you. Or rather, I did. But Tionne said you would eventually want to go. She's very wise. Reminds me of my grandmother at times. But she's a lot younger…obviously." Kelt finished his sentence feeling foolish when he realised what he'd said.

Kam's lip twitched but he managed to maintain his serious expression as he rose to leave. "I think I said this before. Tionne would take that as a compliment."

Kelt grinned and said bravely. "Don't hurry back on my account," and slid a data chip into the reader. "I have my homework to do."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Myrkr – former Imperial Garrison building**

Mara had covered her bright hair with an ugly hat. It was unlikely that she'd be known by anyone but she wasn't taking any chances. Some of the imperial personnel _had _stayed. The building was exactly as she had expected it to be: almost brick for brick the same as every other garrison in the galaxy.

"I'll leave you to have a look but I doubt there's anything left that's worth taking." The speaker was a portly man in his fifties with twinkling blue eyes and a thick black beard. "And yes, Chin, I'll tell your mother that I saw you. She won't be happy that you didn't visit."

"She never is, Rag," Chin muttered with a grimace. "Why do you think I avoid her?"

"It's just junk," Rag said, waving his hand. "You're lucky that you came today. It's all heading to the incinerator tomorrow or the day after and then we can finally use that room. It's the last one."

But Aves was already heading towards what looked like a stack of discarded firearms. "Can we have these?"

"None of those work," Rag said. "That's why they're in here. They were caught in some sort of explosion and everything just fused together."

"But Dankin could make them work," said Mara with a smirk. "He can do quite a lot with bits and pieces like that." It put her in mind of someone else who could do the same. Why couldn't she stop thinking of him? The smallest thing reminded her of Skywalker.

They managed to salvage several pieces but Rag had been correct. Most of the remainder was unusable rubbish. Taking a last look around the room, Mara decided there was nothing else worth taking and turned to follow Aves. Suddenly something caught her eye. "Wait!" she called. "I think I've found something." She'd nearly missed it but something drew her to the corner of the storeroom and under a broken chair was a large square wooden box. Crouching down, she peered under the twisted frame of the chair. It was covered in dust but otherwise was untouched and appeared very familiar. It was an exact copy of the box Luke had found on Praesitlyn.

"What have you got there, Jade?" Aves said, climbing over broken pieces of what might have been a security fence.

"It's a box," she said softly, easing it forward and clasping it against her chest. "I think it might be important."

"Why?"

"I've seen one like it before."

"What's inside it?" Aves was curious at the possessive way Mara was clutching the box to her chest.

"Could be anything," Mara answered reluctantly. "But I think…" She looked pointedly at where she knew the hidden sensors were located.

"I get your drift," Aves said in a low voice. "Not here."

She nodded and, for the benefit of the sensors said, in her normal tone, "It could be useful for storage, or I suspect Karrde knows someone that collects wooden boxes."

Chin looked at his chrono. "Let's get back to the base. Karrde will wonder why we've been away for so long."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

17


	36. Chapter 36

**Out of the Shadows 36**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Lena for her encouragement and for Michele and Tad for taking the time to read.

**Hyperspace**

With a sigh, Mara finished inputting into the navicomputer the co-ordinates for her next set of hyperspace jumps. Two days after the trip to Hyllyard City she had decided to return to Coruscant and had duly informed Karrde of her plans. Actually, the decision had been made less than an hour after she'd returned to Karrde's forest base.

Karrde had enough work for her to do in the Core Regions that made it worthwhile and bought the excuse that to stay any longer on Myrkr would not benefit their rapidly growing business interests. War had been profitable for Talon Karrde but he was now discovering that peace was even more so.

But business was not her real reason for her desire to return to Coruscant. She'd been reluctant to admit anything of that nature to herself but she knew what the reason was and had to stop trying to fool herself. She wanted to see Skywalker again. She needed to know if the feelings that she'd experienced around him were real. Hate shouldn't change to something else so quickly. She…liked him and far more than she should. Part of her couldn't believe that she'd been so wrong about everything and she suspected that she was still waiting for him to develop feet of clay. It was far easier to nurture the scepticism and distrust than believe in his apparent goodness.

She checked the readings once more. Everything appeared to be in order and she decided to get some sleep until it was time to make the next hyperspace jump. It was one of the benefits of her training. Like a good soldier she took her rest when she could.

Moving through to her cabin, her eyes alighted upon the boa-wood box she had found in Hyllard City. There had been no dissent from any of the Hyllyard City Militia as she'd removed the box. No one had asked to see the contents or evinced any interest in it. They had carried it carefully to where the speeders had been left at the edge of the forest and returned to Karrde's base.

"What did you find?" Karrde looked at the container curiously. It wasn't something that he'd seen before.

"It's a wooden box," Aves stated.

"I can see that," Karrde murmured dryly.

Mara opened her mouth to explain but found that Aves beat her to it. "Sure you can but it's not just any old wooden box. Mara thinks it might belong to the Jedi."

"Why the Jedi, Mara?" queried Karrde.

"I saw a box like this at Skywalker's hideout on Dagobah," she said softly, tracing the lightly carved shapes on the surface of the lid.

"What's inside it?" Karrde's pale eyes noted the craftsmanship in the construction. Boa wood had been a popular material used in the crafting of Jedi items like furniture and storage boxes. It had been plentiful; it was inexpensive and it was durable but the fashion for using it had long passed. Then again, he thought, fashions change. It might prove to be a good investment acquiring some of the better quality pieces while they were cheap.

"The one Skywalker had contained a variety of items from lightsabers to data cards. We didn't look inside this one," Mara admitted, running her finger around the edge of the lid. "It's sealed tight and I'm not sure how to open it without damaging it."

"Try not to destroy it," Karrde murmured, handing her a slim vibro-knife with a jewelled handle. "It would be a pity."

Mara looked at the knife critically and shook her head, handing it back to Karrde. "I don't want to damage this," she said regretfully, "and if I use that…." she indicated the knife, "I just might."

Aves looked at Mara. "That Skywalker guy might know what to do with it if that sort of thing used to belong to the Jedi."

She hid her smile and pursed her lips thoughtfully, trying not to look as if the Jedi was the first person she'd considered as soon as she'd laid eyes on the object. If she hadn't suspected its Jedi origins she might have risked forcing open the box. "He might. As I said, Skywalker had a box almost exactly the same size and shape, made from the same wood. It may just be a typical pre-Clone War container but I suppose it wouldn't harm us to wait and show it to him."

"Good idea," said Chin. He was curious to see what was inside the box but understood the need not to damage it. Skywalker might pay handsomely for such an item. It was no secret that there were those in the New Republic actively searching for Jedi memorabilia.

Mara glanced at Karrde, not wanting to divulge the secret to the others that she could manipulate the Force like the Jedi could - although not on the same level as Skywalker. Her boss gave a minute nod understanding her reluctance to say any more in front of her colleagues. She was becoming more open but there was a limit to how far she was prepared to go.

"It is a good idea," Karrde said thoughtfully, smoothing his slender fingers over his goatee. "Can you contact Skywalker and see if he is interested, Mara? We can give him first refusal. I'm loath to force this open and possibly damage it when he might know how it comes apart."

With a dutiful nod, Mara retreated to the base's com centre and minutes later, thanks to Karrde's purchase of the best holonet access pathways, was sitting staring into Skywalker's blue eyes.

"Mara!" He smiled warmly. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon."

"You weren't?" she asked, raising a slim red eyebrow sceptically.

"No, I thought this was a vacation for you."

"Hardly," she retorted. "Karrde has us working just as hard as if we were out in the field. We need to maintain our records, check our ships are at peak efficiency. Do all the things we need to do…"

"You deserved a break," he said.

"Yes, I suppose I did. Dealing with you and your foibles was certainly stressful," she murmured.

"My what!" he exclaimed, humour gleaming in his eyes despite the mock-outrage in his voice. "Foibles? I don't have those. No," Luke suggested slyly. "You must have missed my company."

Mara's eyes widened. "You have got to be joking," she lied. She _had_ missed his company but she wasn't going to admit that to his face. No one else made her feel the way he did. Her colleagues were all wary of her and she didn't encourage any closeness but Skywalker certainly wasn't frightened of her and ignored all her attempts to rebuff him.

"I missed your company," he admitted, his face serious. "I haven't had a good argument with anyone since you left me."

"We don't argue and I didn't leave you," Mara snapped. He made it sound as if they were a couple and that idea made her feel…uncomfortable.

The Jedi shook his head. "You left because you had to but we'll be together soon."

"You think?"

"I'm hoping."

His eyes darkened and Mara stared, fascinated at the change in colour. She even lifted a hand as if to touch his face and then remembered that he was light years away and just an image on a screen. Feeling foolish, she let her hand drop onto her lap.

Luke almost lifted his hand in a reciprocal gesture but he couldn't touch her as much as he wanted to – and he did want to very much. Clearing his throat, he said briskly, "I presume there's a reason for you to be contacting me?" There had to be because he didn't think she'd do it otherwise. He'd hoped but…

She held up the box. "Recognise this?"

Luke sat up straighter. "Where did you find that," he breathed.

"On Myrkr. In a junk room."

"Strange," he mused. "That's where I found the one that I have…in a junk room but on Praesitlyn."

"Is it a Jedi item?" Mara asked. "It's made from boa wood and as far as we can tell dates from round about the time of the Clone Wars."

"Haven't you looked inside?"

She shook her head. "It's sealed and we didn't want to damage the box or its contents."

"It certainly matches the one I have in my possession but that's no guarantee that it is of Jedi origin. I discovered through research that Boa wood was a fairly common material during the latter part of the Old Republic. There were two boxes on Praesitlyn but one of them was empty."

"Oh," Mara said quietly.

"When will you be back on Coruscant?" he asked, trying to disguise the pleading notes in his voice. He missed her even when he was surrounded by the love of his family and friends. She gave him something that none of the others could.

"I'm not sure," she said, hesitating, not letting on that her departure plans had been finalised and approved. She wanted to find out what the box contained but she didn't want Skywalker to think that she was that anxious for his company – even if she was. "Soon, I think but I'll let you know."

"You do that." There was something in Luke's expression that made Mara think that he'd seen right through her. "I believe I have you to thank for access to…" He paused and she could see the little shiver that he gave.

"It's alright," Mara finished huskily. "I know… Did you find anything useful?"

"Some things," he admitted. "There are lists upon lists of Jedi killed and there is, perhaps more usefully, a list of those Jedi that were never found - so much data on these Jedi, their families and their friends. There are many Sith and Jedi training manuals which will be useful if I am to instruct a new generation of Jedi…" He sighed. "I don't know if I am up to the task but I have to be."

"You will be," Mara said suddenly.

"Force, Mara…I…" He broke off, his shoulders slumping.

"You will manage because it's what you have to do." Mara wanted nothing more than to give more comfort to the man but she could not – she didn't know how. "I'll contact you when I return. Goodbye for now, Skywalker."

"Goodbye," he echoed quietly. "Safe journey and clear skies when it happens, Mara."

She ended the call and sat just staring into space for a few moments. They were so different and yet so similar and she missed him.

_**xxxxxxxxx**_

Giving a tired yawn, Mara stripped off her belt, jumpsuit and boots, pulled the clinging shift she slept in over her head and, after setting the alarm to come on just before her next hyperspace jump, climbed into her bunk. She managed to fall asleep within minutes of laying her head on the pillow.

"_Mara!"_

She struggled within the clouds of sleep towards the voice that was calling to her. It was one she recognised and for a moment dread coloured her dreams. But the voice was too benign to belong to her master and it lacked the faint Outer Rim burr she still detected in Skywalker's voice. It was stronger when he was emotionally affected but…

"_Mara!" _The voice called again, more insistent this time.

And then she knew. The voice belonged to Kenobi's Jedi Master, the spirit who had come to her now on several occasions – Qui-Gon Jinn. "You are my guide," she whispered. The dream was as vivid as the others.

"_Ah."_ There was a chuckle. _"Skywalker's son is getting through to you."_

"Getting through to me?"

"_He's been training you."_

"A little. I gave him the holocron." Mara couldn't or wouldn't comment to the long-dead Jedi about what she and Skywalker were doing even if this was a dream.

"_You must trust him. You know that you want to_." Qui-Gon's voice became stronger.

"I trust only myself," she ground out bitterly. "I have never let myself down."

"_Never?"_

"I am alive," she maintained stubbornly.

"_To become a Jedi, you must trust in the Force,"_ Qui-Gon lectured patiently._ "You must trust Skywalker's son."_

"I am not convinced that I am suited to the life of a Jedi."

She heard a faint sigh. _"Why must you apprentices all be so stubborn? To become a Jedi takes no half measures but, rather, great effort and sacrifice as the life is not easy."_

"My life has never been easy." The defensive anger began to rise.

"_Mara, beware anger…"_

"I know what it does." She cut him off before he could go any further. "I've heard that maxim already."

"_You are strong with the Force and you would help him so much. The boy has already spent too much time alone. But more than that, it is your right and your destiny."_

"I make my own destiny," she maintained but the heat had gone out of her words.

Qui-Gon's faint sigh sounded in her ear. "Of _course you do but you could find answers and peace as a Jedi Knight. Listen to the boy and trust what he says."_

Mara recalled Skywalker as she'd last seen him. "Skywalker is no boy and he already has a family."

"_One that he considers you a part of perhaps?"_

It was a shrewd move on Qui-Gon's part. Mara still secretly longed to have a family. She'd clung to Palpatine as her family only to find that he was using her. Skywalker's family loved him and she longed to experience that kind of trust. "That's rubbish. We barely know one another."

"_That's not true. You and Skywalker instinctively understand one another on a level that few beings can comprehend. The Skywalker destiny speaks for him and links you close."_

"Close?"

"_You and he make a good team."_

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"_The way of the Jedi is not a solitary one. You can help him."_

She had heard all this before and, instead of continuing the argument, changed the subject completely. "I found a box."

"_I know…. Myrkr – an interesting place for a Jedi to hide. They would be powerless but then so would anyone sent to find them."_

"Are they still there…the Jedi?"

Qui-Gon sighed. _"No. They had to move on. It was a difficult and dangerous time for the order. That box was nearly lost to us."_

"Yet you managed to draw my attention to it," Mara said in understanding. "How?"

"_If one is determined enough and has the right kind of help…"_ Qui-Gon's voice was smug. It had been good to see his former master again even if he still made him feel like an underachieving fourteen year old.

"What kind of help?"

Qui-Gon just smiled. He didn't divulge to Mara what that help had been but she had her suspicions. Yoda had liked her and in the last moments of his life had decided that yes, this prickly young woman would be a fitting companion for his last apprentice.

"_Listen, young padawan_," he said urgently._ "My time with you grows ever shorter. There is great danger ahead for both you and the boy. The darkness is still with us, growing stronger and more malevolent. You and Skywalker's son will need to act to save the light from being consumed by the darkness. Mara, you must face your past to gain your future. This will only happen when you…"_

"Become a Jedi," Mara finished dully.

"_No. Only if you accept that the boy has no blame and that you were grievously wronged by someone who should not have twisted your gifts to suit his own purposes. I still think your destiny belongs with the Jedi but you cannot be forced."_ He grimaced slightly at the pun. _"Perhaps I made a mistake with Anakin…"_

"Anakin?"

Qui-Gon shook his head. _"Now is not the time and it is not truly my story to tell. Being a Jedi has to be what you want."_

_Anakin._ Mara's sleep fogged mind knew she'd heard that name before but Qui-Gon's voice was growing fainter and she found herself straining to hear his words. She was waking up.

"Do you see the Jedi in my future?" she wondered.

"_You know that the future is always in motion?"_

"Yes. Skywalker has said that." She could hear a faint beeping on the edge of her consciousness.

"_I see the Jedi in several of your futures."_

"And in the others?"

Qui-Gon hesitated for a moment and then said quietly_, "You do not survive. I do not see you."_

"Oh," Mara said. "Well, that's clear enough unless it's a form of Jedi blackmail."

"_No, I say what I saw. These are still only possible futures. There are things that I cannot see. By telling you about them I have probably increased the number of potential futures for you and Skywalker even further. I thought to train the boy and bring balance to the Force but did not survive. It's possible I did a great wrong in my stubbornness and pride. The real child of the prophecy is not the father but the son."_

"Qui-Gon…" Mara hesitated. She didn't understand what he was saying. What father and what son? She had missed something in all of this. _And what prophecy?_

"_What is it, Mara?"_

The beeping of her alarm was growing louder. "Skywalker…"

"_Ahh."_ The voice held understanding but was fading away as true waking awareness returned to Mara. _"Ask him what you need to know. He would not lie to you."_

"Qui-Gon…"

But he had gone and the alarm was drumming into her skull. With an annoyed huff of sound she swiped at the button to switch it off. Swinging her legs from the bunk she grabbed a loose tunic, pulled it over her head and made her way to the cockpit. She had things to think about again and as usual it came around to one man.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Coruscant**

Tionne had a sense of déjà vu when she finished playing her last set of pieces with a careful flourish, her slender fingers teased out the last arpeggio until the sound died away. She was rewarded after a couple of seconds with a ripple of generous applause. But there was only one being in the room that she'd played that last piece for. The hooded figure sat near the back of the room but she knew that the grey eyes would be watching with warmth and not suspicion. She met his steady regard and smiled.

Her hands gripped the precious stringed instrument deftly as she bowed and walked to the area behind the small stage where she had left her cloak and her instrument case. She'd told Kam that she was quite capable of seeing herself back to the _Lore Seeker_ but she should have known that he would disagree.

"Excuse me," she murmured, squeezing past a couple of men dressed in orange flight suits unsteadily waving tankards of lum and, by the sounds of it, trying to outdo one another with tales of their exploits. She hid a smile - it obviously wasn't their first lum either.

"Do you remember over Hoth…?

"And the tow cable?"

"I'm sorry, could I get past you?" Tionne asked again, not really looking at the men as all her attention was focused on getting to Kam. She gathered her courage to deal with them firmly but pleasantly.

"I'm sorry," one of them apologised, moving out of her way.

"I enjoyed your singing," said the other. "That last set was particularly haunting."

Tionne glanced at the other pilot and smiled vaguely, surprised at their politeness. But she did not want to stay and talk to drunken strangers no matter how personable they seemed.

"You deserve your drink," said the first.

"Yes, I do." Tionne smiled and, unseen by both pilots, rolled her eyes and finally made her way past them and towards Kam.

"It will be good to hear the songs of the Jedi again without fear of censure."

Tionne whirled around. "What!" But all she saw was two unsteady figures merging with the rest of the crowd that suddenly seemed to be leaving the bar out into the busy concourse. "I must have imagined it," she murmured softly. She tried to see if she could catch a glimpse of the two pilots but they had gone.

"Imagined what?" asked Kam as she placed her instrument case on the floor and slipped into the seat beside him. He pushed a glass towards her.

Gulping gratefully at the drink he had bought her, she gave a sigh of tired relief. "It was nothing," she said. "I was hearing things." She hadn't looked at the men properly. But one of them had definitely mentioned the Jedi or so she had thought.

"It's difficult to hear anything in here." Kam was staring at a giant holo screen that took up nearly an entire wall, a tall glass of lomin ale in front of him. The previously muted sound was now blasting out a news report so loudly that it was almost impossible to know what was being said.

"I didn't think you would be here," Tionne said. "I thought you were going to give Kelt some new lightsaber workouts."

"I didn't like the idea of you being here alone and Kelt agreed with me." He gave her a look, his expression sardonic. "I suggested that I come and meet you and he gave us permission to stay for a drink or two."

"Kelt gave us his permission?" Tionne asked carefully, wondering if her hearing was malfunctioning. "I must remember to thank him," she managed to say.

"I can't recall either of us needing the whelp's permission," Kam muttered. "Although I may have misjudged him."

Tionne laughed and shook her head, her eyes meeting Kam's as something strange and tender flashed between them. "Let's enjoy our new found freedom."

"Yes." Kam nodded but his sharp grey gaze was sweeping around the room looking for potential hazards and escape routes.

"Kam!"

"Habit," he said, focusing his attention once more on the holo screen above his head. A young man in black smiled reluctantly at a crowd of waiting holo-reporters before slipping to the back of a group of beings containing some of the New Republic's current leaders. Princess Leia Organa held out her hand and General Han Solo kissed it before tucking it and the dark-haired Princess against him.

"That's Mon Mothma's official announcement of Solo and Organa's engagement," Tionne said in comprehension.

"They've been playing it on a loop since I arrived," Kam stated, nostrils flaring in annoyance. "However, they've now switched on the sound."

Tionne studied the flickering images and noted thoughtfully, "I feel sorry for him. He doesn't look any older than Kelt."

"And you are a grandmother?" Kam asked dryly.

"No, but I'm several years older than Kelt. Skywalker looks very young."

"Skywalker isn't much older than Kelt or he might even be around the same age. But don't let his age fool you. If he's had the proper training he is as dangerous as I am and probably a lot more powerful."

"Or as safe as you are," Tionne corrected.

"I am not safe."

"I feel that way when I am with you," Tionne admitted. She stared up at the holo screen and watched Skywalker move himself away from the limelight as soon as he could. "He doesn't look powerful."

Kam rubbed a hand across his eyes and sighed. "I can assure you that he is powerful. I can sense that power calling to me sometimes. It's probable that Yoda went into hiding to be alive to train this one. Yoda would not have done that for a 'nothing'. His was a calculating mind. He looked to the Force's future and saw the preservation of that as his sole duty."

"It's placed a heavy burden on that young man," Tionne said. "I can see it just by looking at him."

"So can I but there's no one else able to do it. I'm not sure that _he's_ able to do it but there's no one else. I cannot do it." He took a mouthful of ale and managed a world-weary smile.

"You could lead the Jedi." Tionne said fervently.

Kam shook his head. "I'm touched by your faith in me, Tionne, but no, I couldn't lead the Jedi – not like he will."

"Do you think that we will manage to contact Skywalker?"

Kam's smile widened and turned smug before looking a little shamefaced. "Remember that I said I thought I'd misjudged Kelt?"

"Yes, you did say that although there has been friction on both sides. How have you misjudged him?"

"He reminded me of something I should not have forgotten - one of the most basic facts about the existence of any Jedi."

"And…" Tionne tried not to get exasperated. She was a patient being but sometimes Kam could try the patience of a dim-witted omnipod.

"We have the Force," he pronounced with satisfaction.

"And?"

"That's it," he muttered, frowning.

"So we have the Force. What do we do with it that will get us into contact with Skywalker?"

Kam finished his drink and Tionne found herself watching as he tipped back his head and swallowed the dregs of the ale. "Simple," he said, getting to his feet and holding out his hand to help Tionne from her stool. "There are three of us. We go to the place where the Force is at its most potent and wait for him. We should be able to draw him to us if we have the right location. We might not have to 'do' anything."

"But…" Tionne let Kam place her cloak around her shoulders and watched as he picked up her instrument and ushered her from the crowded bar.

"Come," he said, placing his arm around her shoulders.

"We are going to the Jedi Temple," she breathed, staring up at him. "I'm right, am I not?"

"Yes."

"But I thought…" She stopped and looked up at him, her fair features concerned. "I thought that you did not want to go there."

"I don't. The temple site holds far too many memories and not all of them are good ones. However, if that is the way we must choose to proceed, then I will go. My father would have chided me for my lack of patience but I have spent enough time waiting."

"Waiting is hard when the way ahead is visible," Tionne murmured. "My grandmother said that to me once. I wanted to be grown up. She knew I wasn't ready for it."

"We are ready. We need to move forward. Skywalker needs to stop hiding behind groups of people and do what he was destined to do."

"Do you think he's hiding?" asked Tionne, as they moved away from the bright lights and the crowds of glamorous beings seeking entertainment. "He didn't look comfortable."

"They were politicians. He's a Jedi. The two are not supposed to be comfortable together."

"But he should learn from them." The space traffic droned above them in ordered lanes that became busier as they walked towards the more industrialised spaceport. Wandering slowly past machine shops, equipment and supply stores teeming with ordinary spacers, the couple neared Tionne's docking bay.

"From what I can tell…I could be wrong, of course, but I don't think that he seeks the attention of the masses. He does not want power in the way that Palpatine did. Apart from that, I don't know." His grey eyes seemed to turn inwards. "I don't know _him._"

"But you will," she said softly. "In all the holos, he appears closed – difficult to read."

"That comes with training," Kam replied. "I hope he got the right training. He will need it - especially if he is to do something to deflect Kelt's meagre matchmaking skills for you and me."

Tionne blushed and hoped that Kam didn't see it. "You do not want to have a match?" she asked quietly, appalled at the way disappointment was racing through her.

"I didn't say that." Kam stopped and turned to stare down into Tionne's face. "But I prefer to do my own matching." The kiss was sweet and somehow cleansing, Kam thought, as his lips touched the softness of hers.

They slowed down their steps, reluctant to let their time alone end.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Luke had enjoyed spending the day with Wedge and the rest of the Rogues. The flight in the borrowed X-wing had been a joy and he'd had a few pangs of regret at the loss of his own trusty vehicle. He would have to do something about getting his own transport and soon. He wasn't used to relying so much on others.

After the training manoeuvres Luke had been set to make his way back to Han and Leia's when Wedge had invited him out for a drink. Luke hadn't hesitated. His sister and her fiancé were at some function or other that Luke had definitely not wanted to attend, although he could have if he'd wanted to. The galaxy's sole Jedi was welcome on any guest list but he was already tired of being paraded around. A drink with the boys - and girls - of Rogue Squadron sounded appealing and he could try to forget about the Force, the Jedi and that damned beautiful redhead that filled the rest of his waking moments for one evening.

"You coming, Luke? We won't be late. At least, that's the usual intention."

"Sure, Wedge," he said, as he swung his legs out of the X-wing's cockpit. "A drink sounds great. I could do with some company. Leia and Han have deserted me to go to some fancy function. Han was complaining about his dress uniform when I left this morning."

Wedge smirked. "Rather him than me."

The squadron headed for the bars nearest to the Rogue's headquarters and not too far from the Westport, one of Coruscant's main spaceports. Secure in the anonymity that his flight suit gave him, Luke enjoyed blending in with the crowd.

"Where do you usually go?" Luke asked, staring at the crowds of beings of various species wandering past him intent on having a good time.

"We never have a set place," Wedge admitted, his dark eyes drinking in all the coloured lights. "We should find somewhere but it often depends on how we feel."

Luke chuckled. "Matching the place to suit the mood."

"Exactly," the Corellian agreed.

Luke moved unhurriedly out of the way of a Rodian being propelled with scant ceremony from a doorway by the four-armed security guard.

"This place is good," Wedge shouted, making large gestures so that the rest of the group would see them. "They don't put up with any nonsense and they occasionally have live music." He peered at a display next to the entrance. "Never heard of her," he muttered.

"Never heard of whom, Boss?" Janson came up behind Wedge and slapped him on the back.

"The singer…Tionne or something."

"Are we going in?" Hobbie said.

"We're going in." Luke stepped inside and heard the clear soprano voice calling to him across the crowd. Even though he had never met the woman from the spaceport, he recognised her calming presence instantly. Her unconscious call was different from Mara's. This call was the lure of one Force user to another – sweet and pure. It wasn't long before Luke pinpointed another presence. So they'd made it to Coruscant, he thought with relief, Kam Solusar, this woman and probably the young man. Luke couldn't sense him in the bar but guessed that he may have been left to guard the ship. They would be important. Luke knew that he had found the next generation of Jedi Knights. All he had to do was get them to agree.

Gradually he relaxed into being with his friends, letting Tionne's mix of music wash through him on a deeper level that he would examine once he was alone. Her last song was one that he already recognised from listening to one of the recording rods he'd found on his travels. So she was actively searching for Jedi material. Luke smiled.

Wedge passed him a tankard of lum. "Hey, remember…"

"That time when…?" Luke raised his eyebrows and took a swig of the cloudy liquid. "It's getting crowded in here," he muttered as someone jogged his elbow.

"Excuse me," a silvery-haired woman said quietly.

Wedge waved at the bar droid. "Do you remember over Hoth…?

"And the tow cable?"

"I'm sorry, could I get past you?" the woman asked again more loudly.

Wedge glanced over his shoulder. "I'm sorry," he apologised, moving out of her way.

Luke paused as the sense of the Force swirled around him. "I enjoyed your singing," he said sincerely. So this was Tionne, this talented woman with a serene air. "That last set was particularly haunting."

She glanced up at him, her silvery eyes glinting in the subdued lighting but Luke could tell that she had her mind on other things.

"You deserve your drink," Wedge offered cheerfully.

"Yes, I do." The fair haired woman smiled vaguely and finally made her way past them, heading towards a table at the back.

Relaxed after several glasses of lum, Luke called after her. "It will be good to hear the songs of the Jedi again without fear of censure." He thought she might have answered him but he wasn't sure. He drained his glass and followed Wedge from the cantina.

He would meet her again and it would be soon.

"I'm going to call it a night, Wedge," Luke murmured, checking his wrist chrono. It was getting late and he had a lot to do tomorrow.

"Are you sure you don't want another?" the Corellian persisted. "There's this great place near the Rogue Squadron HQ."

Luke shook his head and grinned. "I've had far more than I'm used to," he admitted. "There weren't many cantinas where I was staying."

Wedge weaved unsteadily through the throng of people. "Bring the redhead next time," he instructed the Jedi.

"Redhead!" Luke opened and shut his mouth.

"You can't have forgotten about her already?" Wedge said. "She's quite something."

Luke almost groaned aloud. "No, I've not forgotten about her. She's currently off-world on business. She works for Talon Karrde, remember?"

"Oh…" They made their way along the concourse until they stopped outside another cantina. Wedge assessed the security droid at the door. "So, is it serious?"

Luke frowned. "Is what serious?"

Wedge shrugged. "You and her. Is it serious?"

"Mara and I!" Luke shook his head. "It's not like that at all."

"Yeah, right," Wedge's dark eyes said that he didn't believe Luke for one minute and the Jedi wasn't sure if he didn't agree with him.

"She'll kill you if you ever suggest such a thing," Luke warned.

Wedge laughed and then took in the worried expression his friend was sporting. "You're joking."

Luke shook his head again. "She'll kill you and then me but won't mind who she finishes off first. But she's beautiful when she's angry." In his mind's eye, Luke could see her green eyes sparkling with rage and how the energy seemed to bounce off her red-gold curls.

Wedge smirked. "It's like that, is it?"

Luke clapped a hand over his mouth and mumbled something behind his fingers about cutting back on lum because it meant that he couldn't control his tongue. His fiery redhead matched him in every aspect of the Force and his life and was the one woman he would love until the end of his days whether she returned that feeling or not. But he wasn't ready to discuss her with Wedge.

Suddenly there were some running footsteps and the rest of the Rogues materialised beside them. "We going in then, Boss, or are we gonna stand out here all night?"

Wedge looked up at the flashing sign. "The Thirsty Taun-taun," he murmured. "We've had some good nights in this place."

Janson turned to the Jedi. "Luke?"

Luke shook his head. "I think I've drunk more than enough for one evening…"

"Lightweight," scoffed Hobbie.

"Look who's talking," retorted Janson.

"As I said," Luke interrupted their good-natured bickering, "I've had more than enough to drink, I have an early meeting tomorrow morning and I'm not going into any place that mentions taun-tauns. I'm allergic to them."

"But not redheads," muttered Wedge under his breath but Luke still heard him and shot him a glare that would have done Vader proud.

"I'm going home. G'night, boys…and girls," he added.

"It's okay," Feylis replied. "I'm used to it."

"Just trying to be polite," Luke murmured.

"Sure, Commander," she said and followed the rest of them into the cantina.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Returning to Leia and Han's apartment, he stared longingly at the ships parked in the private landing bay. He needed some form of transport to help him keep his independence. He probably needed to get something bigger than an x-wing – the Jedi would need it - but he still wanted to replace the x-wing. Making a decision, Luke entered the turbo lift that transported him up to Leia and Han's home. He didn't have time to wait for the New Republic to give him a ship and it might not be a good idea to be too beholden to them. Besides, he had more than enough credits thanks to the legacy from his father.

Yes, tomorrow after his early morning meeting he would finally start getting on with the next part of his life. He would move into the apartment he was renting from Karrde and wait for Mara to return.

18


	37. Chapter 37

**Out of the Shadows 37**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Lena for her encouragement and for Michele and Tad for taking the time to read.

**Somewhere in hyperspace**

The clones Folla Rule had collected on Muunilist were ruthlessly efficient at their jobs, if somewhat lacking in personality. It would be difficult to be original when they were made from the same mould but being interesting was not a necessary requirement if they did what they were supposed to do. With the knowledge of Skywalker's sudden reappearance, Folla had originally decided to head straight to Coruscant by the quickest route available. That was until she marked the proximity of several known Jedi sites that she'd never been granted permission to visit or hadn't previously been in the area to investigate.

The re-emergence of Skywalker changed everything. The artefact she required to complete her collection hadn't been stored in any of the sites she'd so far covered but she knew that it existed somewhere. The writings were clear. She thought that it might still be on Coruscant but if it was, there was no word of it.

They moved in, stripped a site and moved on. Although such haste went against all her training, time was indeed against them. Folla decided that the grudging permission the rulers on Bastion had allowed her to have to investigate on Dantooine and Muunilist, should be extended to other sites in the sector. She did not contact Moff Westol to check if that was acceptable as she did not want to risk a refusal. If a problem occurred, she would feign confusion and pretend that she assumed the permission he had granted her covered the whole sector.

The impromptu archaeological digs were profitable. The clone soldiers masquerading as her new archaeological assistants had removed anything of value from the once hidden House of Refuge on Ord Biniir in a matter of hours and exactly the same happened in a Jedi training outpost on Agamar. Part of Folla was appalled at the lack of care taken but she pushed away those feelings. Finally, she had a true purpose to her life and was on a mission for her master once more. There were several more planets on the list that she'd once been given by her master but there wasn't definite proof that the Old Republican Jedi had hidden there and she could feel the pull of Coruscant and the unwelcome presence of Luke Skywalker.

He was back from whichever tenth rate world he'd hidden himself upon and, if he really was a fully trained Jedi Knight, he could and probably would try to ruin everything. Did Leia Organa really think that she, Doctor Folla Rule – the foremost Jedi expert in the galaxy, would share her erudition with a half-trained boy from Tatooine? She snorted in disgust. Perhaps, the stories of his training were all New Republic lies. It would make her task much easier if that were the case.

Yes, she thought bitterly. It was possible that it was all lies but then how had he defeated her master and the Sith-Lord, Vader? Could a half-trained boy have done that? Her master had certainly been vanquished.

She moved to the com centre of her ship and waited until they were in range of Coruscant. In a couple of minutes she would hear if they'd discovered anything useful at the Jedi Temple site. "Your call has been put through," the clone assistant announced in a clipped, colourless voice.

The image of her immediate subordinate on Coruscant, the noted academic, Professor Malik, shimmered into place on the miniature holopad. "Dr. Rule?" he asked. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you yet."

"Professor Malik," she replied curtly. "I'm on my way back to Coruscant and should arrive later tomorrow night. What is the current status of the Jedi Temple dig?

"I'm afraid to say that we've found nothing of real importance."

Folla could see the rotund little man sweating nervously. "I had suspected that," she murmured, flicking through the set of notes she'd scribbled on sheets of flimsy the last time she'd been on Coruscant. She'd thought that the artefact she was seeking was there but she should have realised that something so precious, so filled with sith evil, had been spirited away to safety.

"As had I," he agreed, his voice rising to a squeak. "I hoped – but alas, there's been nothing of note."

"How disappointing," she murmured, peering at her data. "Just the usual ephemera then?"

Malik nodded. "The remains of their domestic lives can be found in quite plentiful amounts but anything of value would have been removed by the escaping Jedi themselves or transferred into the Emperor's private collections as soon as the temple fell. I'm quite certain that we managed to save most of those."

"We were both off world when the Emperor was killed, Malik. When we returned we were lucky that many of the artefacts were already kept under the university's auspices. The New Republic Government has, so far, kept our collections intact."

Malik hesitated. He was admittedly not as knowledgeable as Folla Rule in this field but something about what the collections held always seemed to him incomplete. "I always wondered if there was perhaps a collection not made available for academic study?"

Folla frowned. Surely her master would have told her if that had been the case? But she didn't want to admit anything to Malik. "It's possible."

"I took steps to contact Princess Leia Organa's office on your behalf. With the return of Jedi Skywalker to Coruscant I knew that you would want to meet with him at some point in the near future. He may have information of interest to us."

Folla suppressed her irritation. "If I must. Organa is his liaison?"

"Yes."

Her eyes narrowed. "Has he been to the site?"

"Not to my knowledge and I think that I would know," Malik stated firmly.

"Strange," she mused. "So either he's biding his time or it's not as important to him as I thought. I would have thought that he'd be rushing to see where the galactic cradle of the Jedi once existed." She would have to think about Skywalker's behaviour at a later date.

"How much time do we have before the demolition droids move in?" she asked.

The professor chuckled with satisfaction. "Ah, now we do have good news on that front. The New Republic government wants to seal and preserve the site by building above the remains."

Folla smiled. "How enterprising. I hadn't thought to give them so much credit."

"It gives us years to study the site instead of weeks as we first thought. They are planning the new building so that we can have permanent access."

"Good. That puts my mind at rest. You have done well, Professor."

"To be honest, Dr Rule, it was Luke Skywalker's return to Coruscant that saved the site for future archaeological study."

"I must thank him when I meet him and encourage him to put in an appearance," she said dryly. She might have managed to achieve such a feat herself, but the New Republic's hero undoubtedly wouldn't have had to work so hard. "I'll contact you again when I land."

"Of course."

Folla ended the call and checked her wrist chrono. She might as well use the time to rest because there would be many things to do when she returned to the university. That, and the small matter of dealing with the Jedi Knight. Rising from her seat, she addressed one of her clone assistants. "Wake me two hours before we land."

"Yes, Dr Rule."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Coruscant**

Luke placed the last of his boxes into one of the spare bedrooms and sighed. There was still so much for him to do and the sheer amount of work was threatening to become overwhelming. He couldn't go on doing this alone and he was being pressured on all sides to start working in the political arena for the New Republic. He had spent the entire week in various meetings. This was the last thing that Luke wanted or needed. It was inevitable that the Jedi would have to deal with politicians but still…

He needed help and he had no-one he could ask. Leia was a politician first and a prospective Jedi second. She would not be able to give him the help he required. Actually, he did have someone but he didn't think Mara was ready to publicly aid the rebirth of the Jedi.

The meeting with General Airen Cracken, head of the New Republic Intel Division, hadn't gone particularly well. Since Luke's return to Coruscant they had met several times with the encounters becoming more difficult as time went on. The General had demanded that Luke immediately head back out into the galaxy, working as a sort of Jedi-ambassador-cum-agent. Luke had refused and continued to do so. He believed it was the first time he'd won any sort of battle against the stubborn man but as the old saying went – he didn't think that he had yet won the war. Still, he was determined to stick to his principles.

The older man hadn't been pleased when Luke had continued to refuse. He'd then tried to bring Leia into the picture to see if she could persuade her reluctant brother to co-operate. Mon Mothma, of course, had lost no time in imparting that piece of familial information to Airen. She saw the relationship between Luke and Leia as an important piece of news. Cracken ordered that it was also to remain classified for the time being.

Luke had laughed derisively. "Too many people know about this already. It will be difficult to suppress. Besides..." He waved his hand. "I want people to know. Leia wants people to know. We are not ashamed of this. I think you're too late with this one."

Cracken's lips tightened and he tried to modify his tone to something more pleasant. "Perhaps, but until it's the main news we'll keep it quiet. Luke, I need you to get back out in the field. Work with the Rogues…"

"No." Luke's voice was firm.

"But Luke, it's your duty…"

Luke had stood up, his eyes flashing a cold, wintry blue. "No, my duty is to the Jedi and don't you forget that."

"Your sister…"

"Leia knows how I feel about this…"

"Does she agree with you?" Cracken interrupted.

"I resigned from the military several years ago and I now consider myself to be a private citizen of the Republic. My sister understands that and, yes, once I explained my stance she did agree. Airen, we've been over and over this and I'm fed up rehashing old arguments."

Cracken snorted disdainfully. "A private citizen. Luke, you'll never be that."

Luke's smile did not reach his eyes. "Perhaps not but I am not yours to command now. My first allegiance is to the Jedi."

"The president will…"

Luke stiffened. "Don't presume to think or speak for Mon Mothma. She and I are quite clear on my current position. Do you want to see the Jedi return to the galaxy once more?"

"Of course I do," Cracken said irritably. "But we have other more urgent matters." It was the wrong thing to say and the older man knew it but he continued to bluster. "You were one of our best agents, Luke. You cannot turn your back on us."

Luke's mouth firmed into a tight line. "You have no right to say that about me. If I do not resurrect the Jedi order then I will consider that I have turned my back on the citizens of the galaxy. I made a promise, Airen, and it's one that I intend to keep. You either want the Jedi or you do not – which is it to be? For me, the Jedi come first. I need to find somewhere safe for Jedi to train and I cannot do that if I'm running around the galaxy making insipid speeches to doubting politicians."

"I can't change your mind?"

"No."

Cracken's shoulders relaxed. The brash and impulsive young man had grown up and the strength of purpose was evident in every part of him. The Jedi Order as an impartial body backed by the New Republic would fill the neutral role of mediator still lacking now that hostilities between the former Imperial faction and the Alliance had ceased.

Airen sensed that Luke did not want the Jedi to remain on Coruscant; he had said in an earlier meeting that he did not want to be solely tied to the New Republic. But where could he go? A germ of an idea began to grow but he decided that he would discuss it with Mon Mothma before he put it to the young Jedi though he was sure she would agree. "Have it your own way, Luke," he murmured mildly.

Luke wondered if the head of NR intelligence was testing his resolve for some peculiar reason of his own. It wouldn't be the first time nor would it be the last but he wasn't in the mood for any more of their mind games today, whatever the Jedi handbook said on being calm and patient. "I will manage my own affairs, Airen," he said quietly.

"But it would help to have our support – yes?"

"Of course," Luke murmured. "I would value that. There are still evils out there which are not yours to tame."

"I understand," the General said, wondering at the sudden weariness colouring Luke's voice.

They stood looking at one another for a moment, unsure if they were finished or not. Then Luke picked up his black cloak and slung it over his shoulders. "Good day."

With that, he'd bowed his head and left the room. It had been hard to refuse the general's request because he genuinely liked and respected Airen Cracken but he would not be walked over. Just because the Alliance had been ultimately successful in the war didn't mean that there weren't any problems. He knew keeping his independence was a battle he would have to keep fighting but until he had more Jedi out there, he could not help the citizens of the galaxy, no matter which side owned their allegiance.

Of course, he missed flying with the Rogues but his path, his destiny, didn't lie in that direction. For a moment he'd stood in one of the many grand marble corridors which made up the Imperial Palace wondering what to do. He felt unsettled and disgruntled. If he was reading the patterns in the Force correctly, there was something out there waiting like the Sith had once done, biding its time until the right moment to strike. It still didn't solve the problem of his lone status as a Jedi Knight.

He could have gone back to sorting out the boxes in his new apartment but since he was in the palace, he'd decided to go and work in the Emperor's hidden information room. The quicker it was cleared of its dark side taint, the better. He'd thought to visit the Jedi temple where he could feel the insistent pulse of the Jedi waiting there for him but testing their patience was one of his first tasks and his own temper was too near the surface today. He wouldn't take out his ill-humour on people who didn't deserve it. He'd worked solidly for a couple more hours in the Emperor's storeroom and then decided he'd had enough of its creeping evil and returned to his apartment.

Listlessly, Luke pulled one of the boxes towards him and pulled off the lid. Staring at the jumbled contents brought him no satisfaction. He wasn't in the right frame of mind for the meticulous sorting and recording of information. Not today – not when she was coming home and was now so close. He wanted to reach out and touch the bright presence that belonged to Mara Jade but he did nothing. She was becoming too necessary to him for his peace of mind. What if she never became a Jedi?

Glancing at his wrist chrono, he swore under his breath. She was within the system and would be on Coruscant within a couple of hours and he wanted to see her – greet her when she arrived. Placing the box down, he strode to the door and began searching for his cloak. He'd thrown it somewhere in a fit of ill-temper when he'd arrived in the apartment. It served him right if Artoo had decided that it was rubbish and dragged it into the waste disposal.

It really came as no surprise to him how much he wanted to see her again. He missed her beauty, her intelligence, her acerbic sense of humour and her almost desperate need to have the last word. Inevitably they would argue but arguing with Mara Jade was…stimulating. Suddenly he stopped in the middle of the hall and grinned. He was going to go and meet Mara despite not wanting to argue. That was simply not possible. But then, an argument with Mara was almost enjoyable.

"Artoo!" he called. "Where's my cloak?"

The little droid rolled out of the lounge dragging Luke's black cloak behind him and scolding his master as he moved.

"Thank you, little fella," Luke said, throwing the cloak over a pile of boxes. "Do you think you could check and see if any of Talon Karrde's ships have landed within the past couple of hours and where they might have landed?" He could almost touch her presence.

Artoo swivelled his domed head and tootled a question.

Luke leant forward and peered at his screen. "Organic life forms never ask what they really want to know…why?" He glared at the droid, who chuckled as only a droid could. "I did ask," Luke protested.

Artoo blew a scornful raspberry and chirped cheekily. "You want to know when Mistress Jade returns to Coruscant," the droid's screen said. "Why not ask that?" He'd said to Threepio that Mistress Jade frequently altered Master Luke's vital signs in ways that many might consider to be unhealthy.

"You think I want to know if Mistress Jade is flying in to Coruscant tonight?" The young Jedi looked a little taken aback, his face colouring slightly. "But I know she is," he said. "I just want to know when and where she will be landing."

Artoo wondered why his Master couldn't have said all that in the first place. He rolled forward and found the computer socket. Luke hovered behind him waiting, and in Artoo's opinion, a trifle anxiously. Artoo warbled a little sigh of satisfaction.

"Where?" Luke asked and bent forward to read Artoo's screen. "Talon Karrde owns a private landing pad at the Westport. It has to be big enough for several ships including the _Wild Karrde_." He gave a little whistle. "That won't come cheap. But I guess Karrde has the credits and will feel that it's worthwhile from a security point of view." He stood up and reached for his cloak. "So I'm going to the Westport. Are you coming?" he asked the droid.

Artoo warbled something and Luke gave his faithful droid a suspicious glare. "What do you mean you don't want to 'cramp my style'? What kind of droid talks like that? Have you been anywhere near General Solo since we returned?"

Artoo withdrew his jack from the socket and rolled away making another noise signifying droid irritation. He had a nice evening planned doing a self-diagnostic and then, if he had the time, he would check some of the other pieces of technology in the apartment. If anyone asked him it was about time that Master Luke's vital signs needed altering.

Luke closed his eyes and counted to ten in as many languages as he could remember. Why did he have to have droids with such independent minds? "Alright, Artoo, I'll see you later. But don't get up to anything while I'm gone." He placed the cloak around his shoulders and pulled the hood over his head.

The droid's reply was pithy and to the point. It wasn't him who usually got into trouble.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Docking bay 441a, Westport Spaceport**

Luke was waiting as the ship glided smoothly to a halt in Karrde's private landing bay. Like everything else that she did, Mara Jade excelled as a pilot. He pulled the cloak more securely around himself and waited, his face expressionless, masking the anticipation he felt inside. That was until the hatch opened and Mara's slim figure stood at the top of the ramp and he felt an elation surround him that only equated with his joy of flying or in the love he felt for his friends and family. This was all that and more. For a moment he ducked into the shadows, content to watch and wait.

She knew she was not alone. She could feel several individuals close to her ship but one of them was inside the docking bay itself. One of Karrde's people or a hostile? She reached out with the Force but couldn't gauge the identity of the stranger. Her hand moved to release her tiny holdout blaster from its wrist holster. It was better to be safe than sorry. Perhaps one day she would feel confident enough to rely on her lightsaber.

And then she knew. How could she be so clueless? There was only one man that could shield his identity and know the exact time and place of her arrival without being told.

"Skywalker!" she called, her hands on her hips. "Come out where I can see you."

Luke moved forward and pushed the hood back from his face. "Hello, Mara," he said calmly, his eyes taking an inventory of her curvaceous figure dressed in its usual outfit of jumpsuit and belted overtunic and finally coming to rest on her heavy braid of fiery hair.

"Skywalker," she said walking towards him, her gait measured. "I didn't expect to see you…yet."

"Didn't you?"

"No."

"I needed cheering up," he said, folding his arms in front of him.

She arched a slim red eyebrow disbelievingly. "And you think that I will undertake to become your private court jester?" she drawled, mimicking his stance and watching with satisfaction as the Jedi tried to hide a sudden wince. "I don't do entertainment."

"Just seeing you is enough," he said quietly.

Mara froze, not knowing what to say. Any other man she could counteract but with Skywalker…with _Luke _it was different. "Is that a line, Farmboy?" she asked.

"No," he answered, his expression guarded. "It's the truth. I'm not very good at…lines. Never have been."

"Oh." Shaking her head slightly as if to clear it, Mara pulled a slim beckon call from her pocket and punched in a code. Behind her, with a shudder and a muted rumble, the ramp lifted and the ship began to close itself down.

"I'm glad you're here," he admitted, suddenly looking tired.

Mara gave the _Lucky Strike_ a critical once over before turning to give Luke the same assessment. "What's wrong – missing your swamp?"

He managed to chuckle. "That's why I like you."

Mara gaped at him. "Like!" she managed to say.

"Yes," murmured Luke. "You say what you think, don't stand on ceremony and I appreciate your dry sense of humour. You make me feel normal again."

"Were you ever normal?" she mumbled under her breath but Luke heard her.

"Surprisingly enough I was and I didn't like it." He sighed deeply. "I've been back on Coruscant for two…three months and it feels like years and that my life has ground to a standstill. I'm being sidelined by meetings and official functions."

"You weren't exactly living the high life on Dagobah," she said.

"But I had a goal…a purpose. I was doing something useful. I was training and learning about the Force. Here…" He shrugged and gave a deep sigh. "They want to parade me around and show me off or tie me to meetings that I don't want or need to attend in the hope that I'll turn into the tame Jedi they want and start trotting round the galaxy on their behalf. I don't enjoy being manipulated like that."

Mara swung her holdall onto her back and they started walking towards the exit and the turbolift that would take them up to one of the higher levels. "I'm quite sure you haven't just been sitting at welcome back receptions since you arrived back home."

"This isn't home, Mara, and no, I've been trying to get as much work done as I can. It's difficult to unpack and sift through absolutely everything when I know that as soon as I can I'll be leaving to find a better place for me to rebuild the Jedi."

Mara pressed the button to summon the lift and they entered it in silence. "Any ideas?"

Luke sighed. "No."

"Coruscant's not right for you, is it?" Mara said slowly. "I can tell that almost immediately by looking at you and you _do_ miss your swamp."

Luke grinned at her. "Not the swamp per se. I miss the solitude."

"Sure you do. You must get used to it. But at times you were lonely on Dagobah," she observed carefully.

"Of course. I was lonely for my friends and family - not for civilisation as we know it," he said. "I can be just as alone here." The lift doors slid open and Mara stepped out into the hustle of the busy plaza but stopped at the gentle touch of Luke's hand on her arm. "Look at all these people. Beings of all types rushing about their business without care or regard for others. It's much easier to be alone in a city of billions."

Mara stared at the citizens of Coruscant rushing by. She didn't feel connected to any of them and the only one that felt real was the man by her side. "It's true," she admitted before turning to face him with a shrewd look. "Come on, you can't fool me, Farmboy. What's the real problem?"

Luke stiffened. "I wasn't aware that I was trying to fool you."

Mara rolled her eyes.

"I'm just not the same person I was when I left."

"That's hardly planet shaking news," Mara remarked coolly. "You were alone…apart from the green midget…for three years. I would be surprised if you hadn't changed."

"That's my Jedi Master you're insulting." Luke's hand at her elbow ushered her forwards. "Being part of the Rebellion was entirely different from the way that it is now in the New Republic. Wedge and I discussed something very similar the other day. The politicians have taken over from the military and they definitely look at things differently. But there are still problems out there – ones of their own making and others from the past. They think that I should just go in there and put my entire life on hold for them, clearing up some of the mistakes _they_ have made. Hell, I know I'm a long way from being perfect but…" He stopped and took a deep breath. "Most of the people I respected have learned new tricks to deal with the things they now encounter. If they're happy doing that…great. I don't know if _I_ want to learn them."

"You'll find that you already have learned to deal with what they throw at you and give out what you need to in return," Mara advised carefully. "No one stays the same. Don't tell me that Master Yoda did not train you in the skills of a Jedi counsellor or a diplomat?"

"Well, yes, he did."

"So you deal," she said lightly.

Luke glanced at his black-booted feet. She was just too good for him. She had an answer for everything.

Mara gave him an 'I rest my case' look. "Use your advantages, Skywalker. You've been given highly specialised training on top of your war experiences. And your sister is a politician."

"And she's a good one. Probably one of the only two that I trust completely," he admitted wryly. "But even with Leia I find that I now watch what I say and do. She's not like the others but still…"

"I agree. She isn't like the others and I know she wants to see you in charge of a thriving Jedi Order but it is not her primary focus. She cares more for the fate of the galaxy."

"As she should. The Jedi are my responsibility."

She looked at him curiously when, if by an unspoken agreement, they began to walk in the direction of her apartment. "That's still not what's truly bothering you. I can keep your secrets. Tell me what it is that's really got you so unsettled?"

So she was quickly learning to know his moods, Luke thought. Leia and Han were the only other people that could read him that quickly. It showed what an astute judge of character she must be. They hadn't spent that long together and yet, she _knew_ him as he did her. It could be that the connection between them within the Force was strengthening. "I spent some time in Palpatine's secret room today. In fact, I've been spending quite a lot of time in there. So much to sort and file… It's so cold," he murmured. "So cold and the evil permeates your very being."

Now he'd gotten to the heart of the matter and Mara understood. Luke, like her, was sensitive to the emotions left in the air. "I never liked it in there either – I agree that it felt cold and somehow…dark. I often felt like that about my…" Mara stopped and frowned. She'd never put the way she felt around her Master into words before. He had been the nearest thing to a father that she had but she had not loved him. "Did you find anything?"

Luke snorted and shook his head, wondering at what she'd been going to say. "Too much," he said. "Did you know?"

"Just that there were lightsabers stored there and I assumed the cabinets held information and artefacts. Yours was in pride of place. I would have been punished if I'd enquired about anything. If he needed me to know then I would have been told. I only knew about yours because he was proud of it. He wanted to add your current saber to his collection."

"He failed."

"Yes," Mara said dryly. "Obviously."

Luke stared at his boots for a moment before lifting his head. "There are a lot of Jedi and Sith items, books and reading material, scrolls…stuff like that. Most of them I assume were looted from the Jedi temple when it was destroyed. Other things he collected from sites around the galaxy. It's an eclectic collection. If you have the time I would appreciate your help in sorting through some of it." He gave her a cautious glance from the corner of his eye. There wasn't much to clear from the actual room now but the sheer volume of data to be checked and collated was frightening and most of it was now stored in boxes in Luke's apartment. "It's up to you."

"I could make the time." He was asking for her help and somehow she found that she didn't want to say no. They had stopped in the shadow of a towering edifice, its many windows glinting with the reflected lights of Coruscant's ever-present traffic and decorative lasers. Mara gestured to the building and Luke could glimpse what appeared to be a row of turbo lifts through an impressive transparisteel entrance. "Karrde owns the top fifty floors. My apartment is on the top floor."

"I thought you stayed in the same building where Karrde's offices are located," Luke said in confusion.

"I can if I want to and on occasions, after a late meeting, I have but it's nice not to have to live above the vending establishment."

"Are you free tomorrow?" Luke asked.

"I can be," Mara replied softly, not wanting to appear too eager to spend time with the Jedi, yet inexplicably glad that he had asked.

Luke's sudden smile lit up his whole face. "I've joined the gym that Leia goes to and I remembered that you told me that you were also a member. I have a room reserved for my use first thing every morning. It means that I can do my saber practise in a chamber that's big enough not to be irreparably damaged afterwards."

"Yes, I am a member there. That's how your sister and I became acquaintances. Karrde owns it."

"Now why am I not surprised? Your boss is an interesting man and I look forward to meeting him."

Mara recalled her last conversation with her boss. "I think he is looking forward to meeting you too, Luke."

She called me 'Luke', he thought as he escorted Mara up a flight of marble steps and looked about him appreciatively as the transparisteel doors slid aside without even a whisper of sound. "I'm surprised that I'm even allowed in here," he said with an amazed grin.

Mara stared at him in disbelief. "What are you on about, Skywalker? You are the New Republic's Jedi hero. You can go anywhere."

Luke wasn't sure if she'd complimented or insulted him. He just shrugged. "I sometimes think that I still have to dust the sand of Tatooine from my boots. This is the first time I've ever visited Coruscant. I went from Endor to Bakura to…Dagobah."

Mara looked at the gleaming black leather encasing the lower part of his legs. "I don't see it, Skywalker."

"No, but it's still there. Deep down, the sand is always clinging to my boots." His eyes were earnest and very blue.

"So I can still call you 'Farmboy'," she drawled wickedly.

Luke opened and shut his mouth, unsure of what to say. "Call me Luke," he said finally. "You did a couple of minutes ago."

"It was a slip of the tongue," she muttered, noticing the way that the Jedi's gaze had arrowed straight to her mouth. Mara swallowed. "Why should I?"

"It's my name."

Her eyes sparkled. "I'll…think about it."

Luke's lips quirked into a smile as they halted in front of the bank of gleaming durasteel turbolifts. "You do that, Jade."

Her hand reached out to key her destination into the keypad and found itself caught by a larger, sunburned hand callused from many hours of hard work.

"So…tomorrow?" he asked.

She turned to face him. "What?"

"Practice," he murmured, his voice deepening. "Lightsaber practice…tomorrow."

"I said I would meet you," she murmured, not realising that her hand was still trapped in Luke's. "I'm free first thing in the morning and then I have to meet a client for Karrde but that shouldn't take me long. I'm free again after that. Whatever time is most suitable for you."

"I would prefer earlier," he said thoughtfully.

Mara nodded. "After breakfast? Remember, I also have the wooden box we found on Myrkr to give you."

"I'd forgotten about that," he said. "Karrde doesn't want payment?"

"It wasn't Karrde that found it," she said tartly. "I'm donating it to the Jedi cause."

"Thank you," he said, grinning. "You've come a long way in a short time, Mara Jade. When we first met I would never have imagined you donating anything to the Jedi." He laughed as she glared at him. "I need to do some more work in the room you revealed to Han and Leia," he said thoughtfully. "But I'm almost finished there now and I did plan on visiting the Jedi temple site. I haven't gone there yet."

"Why not?" Mara asked. "I thought that would be the first place you visited on your return to society."

Luke sighed and Mara moved closer to him, her hand still held in his. "Up until now, there's been no real need. You brought me the holocron and the distress beacon and from what you told me, you were directed to those items by spirits of Jedi long gone. I doubt there's much else left to find. It's difficult for me to be there because, in a way, the temple witnessed the death of the Jedi Order. Perhaps that was even the place where my father truly died. I'm not certain how I will react when I go. All the reports that I've read…" He paused, swallowing. "I've read hundreds and hundreds of accounts, each one more traumatic than the one before. I will need to be strong and control the emotions I sense."

"I did not feel truly at ease," Mara admitted.

"I can understand that but I'm glad you went. You are strong in the Force and have had little true Jedi training but within ten minutes at the temple site saw a vision of one of the most important Jedi of the pre-Clone War era, Qui-Gon Jinn."

"Yes," she muttered. "And he won't go away."

"He will once day. It's inevitable." Luke's smile was wry, yet tinged with sadness. "My training in the Jedi arts has been more extensive. I should be able to keep the memories out, yet I should be more receptive to the emotions. It makes for a difficult balance."

"I think I see," Mara said, staring into his eyes. He was gathering his strength for what he expected to be something of an ordeal.

Their gaze held. "But I have to go sooner rather than later as I suspect that I have people waiting for me there."

"Your little group of budding Jedi," Mara said quietly. "I would have thought that you'd catch them in your Jedi net the moment they landed on Coruscant. It would be better if you did. Kam Solusar…"

"Has a troubled past. I sensed the darkness within him but it was behind him. He's returned to the light and he seeks to protect the others – I can feel it. We need him, Mara. He has skills that the new Jedi will require."

"But…"

Luke inched closer until they were standing pressed against each other, their clasped hands pressed between their bodies. "Trust, Mara. I understand it's difficult for you to trust him but then again, he may not trust you either."

"I trust you," Mara whispered. "I shouldn't but I do."

"I know you trust me," Luke said. "The feeling is mutual." He dipped his head, his lips lightly brushing hers. "I will see you tomorrow," he murmured. "How I missed you when you were away."

"You said that already," she managed to say, her heart thudding loudly in her chest.

"It's the truth," Luke protested, his eyes shining into hers.

Mara smiled. "I believe you."

His lips covered hers, more firmly this time and to the passers-by, they looked like any young couple in love saying goodnight even though the actual words had never passed their lips.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Imperial Palace**

Luke strode along the corridor that would take him to Palpatine's secret room. He didn't like the place; there were too many dark memories and emotions held within the walls. It was strange how the stain of evil lingered within certain places. The quicker he got it cleared, the better he would feel. The security had been stepped up, he noted idly as he spotted the scanner ahead. He moved forward and stood patiently waiting for the bio-scanner to finish its work.

"You may proceed, Jedi Skywalker," the metallic computer voice intoned blandly.

"Thank you," Luke replied politely even if it was to a computer's automatic response to the correct vital signs. No one could ever convince him that Threepio and Artoo were just a pile of electronic circuits.

He gave a nod to the security guard, one of Lady Winter's personal staff, took a deep breath, closed out the feelings of coldness and hate that assaulted his being and waited for the newly added security gate to slide open. Once the room was emptied, it would be converted back to its original function – part of the palace turbo-lift network.

As he moved along the once-secret passage, his eyes adjusting to the semi-darkness, his mind automatically returned to Mara. He couldn't believe that he'd actually gathered his courage together and kissed her last night. He'd kissed her and she'd kissed him back – there was no denying it. But this morning she'd been cold and almost nervous in his company as they'd sparred, lightsabers flashing in the room he had hired for their use. She'd seemed to retreat once more behind her acerbic personality and although Luke wasn't threatened by her lightsaber, her words were another thing altogether. If Luke was reading Mara correctly, she had gone with her feelings last night and now was second guessing herself. He took that as a sign she was making real progress with trusting her feelings. He'd either made a hideous mistake letting his hope for her to have real feelings for him cloud his judgement, or she had feelings for him too. Had he made a mistake? He didn't think so. However, courting this particular woman would not be easy. Luke stopped dead in his tracks. He wanted to _court_ her?

'_The Skywalkers love on sight and forever.'_

The words continued to haunt him along with strange dream-like visions of darkness and destruction that continued to plague his sleep. This had happened before and could happen again if what he saw came true. He didn't understand what the visions truly meant as there were no Jedi to destroy. Yet someone or something wanted to exterminate the hope Luke held in his heart of a new Jedi order rising from the ruins of the old. He glanced around at the now mostly empty display cabinets and shelves. As he'd said to Mara the previous evening, this room brought all his unsettled feelings to the surface. It had witnessed true darkness in the shape of Palpatine. He sighed. His gaze purposely avoiding the bloodstained Jedi battle-armour, he picked up the data pad he'd been using the day before and checked what he had noted down.

_Lightsabers_, he read. Training sabres, great sabres, dual-phase… He looked in the two boxes at his feet. One box held those that were still working and the other box, those that did not. If he had time he would attempt to repair them.

Perhaps it was not to be, him and a happy, successful relationship. He hadn't made any real time for any sort of relationship before and it would be a remarkable woman that was able to keep up with him. Perhaps that was why his affairs had been few and far between. But Mara Jade could be that woman if she didn't still think that he was behind the death of her master.

He stared down at the lightsabers as if trying to memorise their number and their shapes. Perhaps one day he would be able to identify the Jedi that had wielded them. Maybe then, he would discover if their bloodlines still existed in the galaxy. Palpatine may have inadvertently aided the Jedi in their rebirth.

"Luke."

He turned to see the Lady Winter, Leia's long-time friend and assistant, holding what appeared to be a container of data cards.

"More," he said with a wry grimace.

"Yes," the elegant white-haired Alderaanian answered apologetically. "But this is the last of them. I think these are of interest to you rather than to General Cracken." She pointed to a couple of boxes stacked near the entrance. "Those are for him."

The contents of the room had been evenly split between Jedi and Sith memorabilia and political spoils. Many beings had disappeared during the Empire's grip on galactic power and much of the information to what had happened to them and to countless worlds forever destroyed had been found.

"He'll find those interesting," the Jedi said softly, "if a little sad. I think the whereabouts of many of his former colleagues will be explained. Just leave the Jedi ones there, Winter. I'll take them with me when I leave. Is that it?"

"That's it…apart from the boxes of Jedi toys."

"Toys…children's toys?" Luke echoed, a strange feeling in his gut. How could Palpatine have murdered children? A small voice in his head reminded him that some of them must have survived. He and Leia had survived and Mara. Mara had survived.

"Those texts you allowed me to borrow were most helpful in deciding what to keep."

"It helps to have a memory like yours," Luke said with a smile. Winter rarely forgot anything she read, saw or heard. It had proved useful during the war but also caused her much pain with the loss of her home world and many friends.

"My shift is finished," she admitted, looking tired. "We decided that we would take shifts to get this…" she hesitated for a moment, "place cleared more quickly and I landed the night duty except that it extended quite far into today. I'm glad we're almost through here. I don't like the feeling I get when I'm in here and I prefer not to be alone. The mind can play strange tricks on the imagination."

"And you are not gifted with the Force," Luke said quietly. "The darkness has to be strong for you to sense the evil."

"He was evil but he is gone now," Winter murmured. "We are rebuilding what was lost."

Luke opened his mouth to say something in agreement and found that he could not. Palpatine _was_ gone but the evil was not. Evil did not die. It just changed its face and was born anew. Here, in the black heart of Palpatine's stronghold, Luke could feel the darkness that still existed. "Go home and get some sleep before my sister shouts at me for wearing you out with too much work."

Winter chuckled tiredly. "There's no blame on you, Luke. We're glad to have you home."

"Thank you."

She paused once more, glancing around her, checking to see that everything was as it should be. "I've arranged for extra storage space in what used to be part of Palpatine's personal library. The university also rents space there. You did make it harder for me by upsetting Airen Cracken first thing this morning." She raised a white eyebrow at him in disapproval.

Luke just shrugged lightly. "It's not good for him to get his own way too much. I got the feeling that he was glad someone had stood up to him for a change."

"That's quite possible but he would have preferred it not to be you." Winter could read the disgruntled expression on Luke's face and stifled her smile as she handed Luke a data card. "The location of your extra storage facilities are on this. Don't lose it."

"Yes, Ma'am," Luke said smartly.

Winter's grey eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Have you been taking lessons from Han Solo, Luke?"

"Of course," Luke muttered promptly, mischief gleaming in his blue eyes. "Taught me everything I didn't need to know."

"You shouldn't encourage him."

"He doesn't need me to encourage him," Luke replied.

"Unfortunately, that's true. I'll see you tomorrow," Winter said firmly, shaking her head.

"You will?"

"The meeting," she said patiently. "With Mon Mothma and the rest of the Inner Council?"

"Oh," Luke murmured. "That's tomorrow? I'd forgotten about that one."

"Then it's just as well that I reminded you of it."

Luke spent the next three hours finishing clearing one of the cabinets and after checking his chrono decided he'd been there long enough. He packed all the data cards Winter had left for him into a large bag along with several rare books on Jedi history and theory, although most books on Jedi history and theory were rare. He had just reached the end of the secret passage when an irate voice reached him.

"What do you mean, 'I don't have the correct clearance?' Of course I must," the voice demanded. "Do you know who I am?"

The guard's voice mumbled something and Luke decided to stay out of the proceedings for the time being. He hadn't been noted for his caution or patience in the past but he had learned and something told him he would learn more by not making his presence known.

"I am Doctor Folla Rule, the head of the archaeology department at Coruscant University. I should have been told that Jedi finds had been unearthed in the Imperial palace. These artefacts should be brought to my department for study and cataloguing."

"Jedi finds?" the guard said, sounding puzzled. "I don't know anything about Jedi finds. The New Republic is upgrading the turbo lift network in this wing of the palace, hence the work."

Luke frowned. He'd heard that name before. His frown cleared as he remembered Leia mentioning the woman. She was knowledgeable about the Jedi - in fact, was considered to be one of the galaxy's foremost experts. Leia had thought that they should meet but Rule had been off-world since he'd returned to Coruscant. Something nagged at him. It was possible that some information may have escaped but none outside his personal circle should be aware of the Jedi finds so how did she know?

There was an obvious answer. Had she sensed the items imbued with the Force? It was possible. However, there was something else even more disturbing. This woman had been allowed to pursue her interest during Palpatine's reign. Why? Was that interest fostered with or without the tyrant's blessing? He stayed out of sight listening carefully as the woman became more and more irate as the guard refused her entrance.

"I demand entrance," she snapped.

Luke was impressed both with this Doctor Rule's manner and more so with the poor guard who had not buckled under the icy pressure the archaeologist was subjecting him to. Winter's staff was obviously hand picked and impeccably trained. It was also possible that this guard had not been informed of what he was guarding. Doctor Rule had not resorted to shouting or anything resembling a real threat but Luke could tell that she was used to giving orders.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," the guard murmured firmly. "Any more information is classified."

"Who is in charge of this?"

Luke exited from the passage. "That would be me," he said calmly, carefully shielding his identity. If she was an expert on the Jedi she would definitely know who he was and he wanted to keep Palpatine's evil a secret from the academics a little longer. He did not know this woman and he wasn't going to blithely give access when she was apparently so undeserving. "Close it up for the night. We'll do a final check in the morning."

Folla stared disdainfully at the young man not realising that he, too, was surveying her closely. Luke saw a woman perhaps a few years older than Han, good looking in an imperious way, with dark hair caught into an elaborate chignon. But there was something else about her that Luke found interesting. He was sure she had some Force ability. It wasn't strong, perhaps weaker or similar to the woman travelling with Kam Solusar, but it was there nonetheless. If that was the case and she was Force aware, why had Palpatine kept her alive? It was something he would have to meditate on at a later date. Perhaps Mara might know something of this woman if she'd been around during Palpatine's reign.

"Excuse me," he said politely. "I do not believe that we have met."

"I want to see the contents of that room," she demanded, dark eyes flashing, ignoring his query as to her identity. "You are in charge?"

"For the moment, yes," he admitted reluctantly. He knew who she was because she'd announced herself so arrogantly to the guard and he'd heard Leia and Han discussing her interest in Jedi history and artefacts. "But I cannot grant you clearance without the proper documentation. It's just a storage space. Disappointing but there it is."

"No," she said brusquely. "There's more to it than that."

"Is there?" Luke said calmly.

"Yes," Folla snapped. "A bio scanner for a prospective turbo-lift shaft? That's a little too much."

Luke shrugged. "Anything to do with the inner transport system needs to be secure. This will greatly ease movement around the palace complex." He gave a sly smile. "Of course, if you get the proper documentation I can give you the official tour. It will last all of a minute - perhaps two if I stretch it out enough."

"And who has the power to grant access?" There was nothing she disliked more than dealing with petty little bureaucrats and this one was worse than most. She was Dr Folla Rule, the most famous archaeologist in the galaxy and she shouldn't have to bargain with nonentities for what was her right.

"General Airen Cracken. It is a security matter." Luke could see the woman pause. He was right. She did have some Force ability but it wasn't particularly strong. He couldn't put his finger on it but there was something about this woman he didn't like. Something else teased him. If she was Force aware, was she trained? Was she drawn to him like he and Mara were drawn to one another – the way Kam Solusar and his companions were waiting for him? He decided consciously to lie. He didn't like doing it but he thought that it might be necessary. Too many things about this woman did not add up. It was something else for him to look into.

"I don't know where you heard the story about Jedi artefacts, Ma'am," he said carefully. "But I can assure you there is nothing for you to see here. I wish there were. Perhaps you'll have more luck at the temple excavation?"

Folla gave him a fulminating glare, turned on her heel and marched away, unaware that the one man she wanted to meet in the entire galaxy was following her departure with a troubled expression in his blue eyes.

22


	38. Chapter 38

**Out of the Shadows 38**

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Lena for her encouragement and for Michele and Tad for taking the time to read.

**Coruscant **

Mara navigated the sleek black airspeeder which Karrde had provided for her use through the teeming lanes of traffic with ease, but her mind wasn't totally on what she was doing. Her mind was occupied with the one man in the entire galaxy who had the power to knock her completely off balance and whose apartment she was now heading towards.

"Warning…restricted area," a voice suddenly announced from her com. "Be prepared to transmit authorisation codes."

Mara swore under her breath as she fumbled for the slip of plasti Karrde had given her. She should have known. "Where are you?" she muttered irritably and suddenly, her fingers closed over the elusive card and slid it into the appropriate slot. The New Republic Security Service had already put Luke's apartment under surveillance. He wasn't going to be happy with that but it was to be expected.

"Code accepted," the metallic voice stated. "Proceed to destination."

"Thank you," Mara said tightly, not sounding in the least grateful. She stared ahead at her target destination, the tall elegantly shaped tower, the upper levels containing attached landing pads and verdant gardens. Skywalker's apartment took up all of the topmost two storeys. Karrde had to be charging him an absolute fortune for its use but the Jedi had appeared not to quibble at the price. Saving the galaxy must be profitable but Luke had existed with very little on Dagobah and she hadn't seen him altering his way of living - apart from the expensive apartment.

Things were changing between her and Luke very quickly. At first they'd been enemies, then teacher and pupil, travelling companions and now friends…of a sort. The latest development had been the most unsettling of all. She hadn't even expected to like the man and even less to find herself wanting to kiss him. Palpatine would have killed her on the spot if he'd discovered her in a tryst with an enemy and she squashed her conditioned feelings of disloyalty. The more she learned about Palpatine's dealings, the more betrayed she felt. She realised now that she hadn't known her Master at all.

Feeling unusually nervous, Mara carried the boa-wood box she'd found on Myrkr carefully along the walkway toward Luke's apartment. She kept her step measured although her feet seemed to continually want to quicken the pace. It took considerable concentration to maintain a purposeful yet unhurried gait and the effort required grew as she drew nearer. She could not believe how much she had missed his company during the extended trading run which had taken her from Coruscant to Myrkr and back again to Coruscant. She had never met anyone in her entire life that had become so necessary to her state of mind. Why did it have to be him?

She had caught herself, several times, pushing too hard at each refuelling stop and trading opportunity just in an effort to finish so she could move on more quickly. What was wrong with her? She had always been able to focus on the necessities of the moment but Qui-Gon's statement that he could not see her in a future that did not contain Skywalker had set off little alarm bells in her mind. She did realise that Qui-Gon could be fabricating the whole thing as a means to push her into Jedi training but the statement had a ring of truth in it. She was beginning to realise that one of the benefits or curses, depending on your point of view, to having the Force returned to her in full was her ability to instinctively know when the truth was being told.

It was possible that Qui-Gon could simply not be viewing the potential futures where she existed without the handsome Jedi but the fact that he saw none at all was a great concern. It certainly sounded like there were lots of possible futures where she and Luke were together. Did she want the sort of future that contained the Jedi Knight?

And of course last night he had kissed her properly for the first time. Her cheeks grew warm at the thought. The gentle salute he'd given her en-route to Coruscant from Dagobah didn't count. She wasn't a starry-eyed romantic and never had been but one touch of the Jedi's lips on hers had had her quivering. He'd kissed her like a lover would and she'd let him do it without complaint. What was worse, in her opinion, was that she'd enjoyed it. Feeling guilty, Mara had retreated into herself during their morning practise, finding it difficult and somewhat embarrassing to face him, and she'd sensed his hurt through hastily erected barriers. But she didn't know any other way to behave. He had got further past her defences than anyone else she'd ever met.

Not that she really minded seeing more of Luke. She had to admit to herself that their brief time training together was the most stimulating and enjoyable time she ever remembered having with anyone. She missed his infectious smile and quirky sense of humour and it was only her own stubborn pride that kept her from laughing out loud in his presence more often than not. Mara did not normally laugh. He could drive her temper to boiling point in a nanosecond but could turn it back into something completely different just as quickly. She pushed the memory of his kisses away again.

But what she found truly amazing was his steady faith in her abilities. He believed that she could be more than she was and nothing she said or did had swayed him from that opinion. Mara had been surprised when she realized that she was completely relaxed in his presence, comfortable in her own skin because she knew that he accepted her for exactly what she was at that moment in time. She had never felt that way around anyone else – even Karrde.

A future containing Skywalker sounded…good. A romantic future containing Skywalker might even be better but was she willing to take the risk? Mara shook her head derisively. It had felt good to kiss him but she had to be in need of a psyche evaluation to be even considering such a future.

His door was in view now, and she automatically reached out to feel his presence. It was there within and the fleeting contact somehow soothed her nerves. Skywalker would make everything alright. He made even the most insane ideas sound possible. She stopped in front of the elegantly panelled entrance and hesitated. Would she feel the same confusion and uncertainty after she saw him again or was all this just the product of an overactive imagination coupled with Qui-Gon's warning?

She'd let him kiss her after Qui-Gon's warning. This uncertainty was just foolish. She wasn't some naïve girl barely out of the schoolroom. She wasn't particularly experienced either – Palpatine did not encourage romantic liaisons - but Luke Skywalker made her _feel._ There had been too many times in the past when she'd been emotionally numb. During those periods in her life when she _had_ felt emotions, she'd been coldly angry. The Emperor would not have welcomed a servant governed by her emotions. In his eyes she would have been unfit for the job he'd entrusted her to do.

She recalled the moment during their return journey to Coruscant when Luke had been readying himself for bed, his fingers on the fastenings of his black pants, a hint of grey undershorts below. On that occasion, her hands had ached to trace their way across his firm toned chest. Those same hands had also wanted to smack him senseless on a number of occasions when he was at his most annoying.

The door slid open before she'd even activated the chime and she lifted her chin preparing herself to meet Skywalker's shrewd blue gaze. But the doorway was empty, framing the spacious entrance hall. So this was the way he wanted to play it. She knew she'd been distant during their practise earlier on – hell, she'd been shocked at the passion contained in their kisses - and this, perhaps, was his chance at retaliation.

"_Childish, Jedi,"_ she sent to him, knowing that he would get the message. It was her old manner of defence - attack.

"_I'm not the one scared of a little kiss,"_ he sent back.

Mara straightened her spine. She would show him scared and she would also show him a real kiss. He was toying with her, daring her and that rankled. Her pride wouldn't allow her to be seen as anxious over what they had shared the previous evening. Mara could give as good as was given out to her. With a snort of irritation, she squared her shoulders and marched into his apartment only pausing when the click of the door indicated that it had closed behind her. She headed towards the living area because that was where he was. An opaque glass door slid open as she approached and somehow the silent efficiency only increased her ire. He was toying with her and she hated feeling preyed upon.

She lifted her chin and walked into the room. Luke sat behind a desk overloaded with books and data pads, his attention solely focused on the sheets of flimsi, an old fashioned writing implement gripped between the fingers of his right hand. The setting sun shone its last rays of light through the large picture window outlining his figure.

"Well?" Mara said testily.

Luke lifted his head from the data disc he was studying and gazed at the fulminating redhead standing in front of him. "Well, what?" he asked calmly.

"Did good manners die out with the previous Jedi Order?" she snapped, her eyes taking in the sight of him dressed in an open-necked blue shirt. He seemed to be parsecs away from the aloof Jedi Knight and closer to a sexily rumpled overburdened academic. Whatever he was, it was doing dangerous things to her heart.

"Mara," he murmured, lifting a hand and running it through his hair, flattening it into some sort of order. "This is an unexpected visit."

"No, it isn't," she retorted, wanting to smooth down an errant lock that persisted in sticking up despite his attempts to tame it. It made her more ill at ease. She shouldn't want to touch him so badly. "You knew I had a box to deliver to you."

"I did," he admitted. "But I didn't expect you to be so prompt with your delivery after our training session this morning. I was obviously in error."

Mara glared at him. He must have been getting lessons in diplomatic language from his sister. Tatooine farm boys didn't speak in such a formal manner.

He waved a hand at the general clutter on and surrounding the desk. "As you can see, I could have waited for the box a little longer. Won't you sit down?" he murmured politely. "I'll just finish this." He stored several sheets of flimsi into a folder and pulled a disc from a data reader on his desk, placing it into a rack filled with what looked to be hundreds more discs. "Artoo," he called softly, and a rotund shape detached itself from an alcove and trundled to the young Jedi Knight's side. "You know what I want you to do?"

The droid beeped an assent. Of course he knew what to do. He trained his photoreceptor in Mara's direction and tooted happily in greeting.

Luke chuckled. "Yes, I know it's your favourite lady. I'm inclined to agree with your opinion. She could be one of my favourite ladies, too." His blue eyes filled with amusement as Mara continued to stand in front of his desk clutching the boa-wood box like an errant schoolgirl caught with something in her possession that she shouldn't have touched. "Now be careful. There are some rough types down there."

Artoo let out a stream of scornful notes. His master was one to talk. He rotated his head once more, deployed his third leg and headed towards the droid chute, disappearing with what could only be described as an astromech scream of excitement.

"He likes that contraption." Luke grinned and then changed his expression to one of concerned graciousness. "Can I get you a drink, Mara?"

Mara narrowed her green eyes and placed the box on the sofa behind her but still didn't sit down. She had the feeling that he was finding the whole scenario amusing and she did not like being laughed at. _Could_ be one of his favourite ladies indeed. "A drink would be most pleasant," she said, her politeness barely scratching the edge of civility.

He pushed back his form chair and stood up and, as he came out from behind the desk, Mara noted that the blue of the shirt matched the blue of his eyes and that beneath his black pants his feet were bare. It lent this encounter a strange sort of intimacy and nervously, she looked away.

Luke observed her darting gaze and cast his eyes around the room. It was barely but stylishly furnished since he'd retrieved a few brightly coloured cushions and couple of lamps from storage that gave the room a warm feeling. It wasn't home. He wasn't sure where 'home' was but this place would do till he found what he wanted. He hadn't had a real home since he'd left Tatooine and the warmth and love of his Aunt Beru. Instead, he, Han and Leia had run from one end of the galaxy to another hiding out wherever they could. Life had been lived in cramped ship's quarters, ice-caves or forest tree-houses. Coruscant would never be where he belonged.

"It's good to see you, Mara," he said, a proper smile lighting his features. "Please…sit," he said again, waving a hand at the sofa. "I'll get us something to drink."

"Don't you want to look at the box?" she asked.

Their eyes met and held and Luke moved closer. "I'd rather look at you," he admitted suddenly. "I've not been able to concentrate on anything worth a damn since last night."

Mara looked at him helplessly for a moment longer. He could be so…innocently desirable in what he wanted and she forgot that she was angry with him for kissing her and also with herself for allowing him to do it and enjoying it. He spoke with the directness of a child but the fires of a fully adult male were banked behind his blue gaze. With a sound of desperation she launched herself into his arms. Luke only had time to register surprise as her arms surrounded him and her lips fastened over his. He wasn't about to protest – not when everything he'd ever wanted was in his grasp. He was too busy.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Organa/Solo Apartment**

Han checked his wrist chrono as he stood at the open door and watched Leia add something to a data pad. Would she ever get time to relax? "Leia!" he called softly. "Are you finished with those reports?"

"Almost," she replied without lifting her head. "Just the last one."

"You need to take a break, Sweetheart. You've been working on these most of the evening." Han wandered into his fiancée's office clutching two glasses of Corellian Whisky.

"There," she said. "Finished."

"About time," he muttered.

"You know they'll just give me another one tomorrow."

"That's tomorrow. For now, you're done working." He picked up the holo of Luke that sat on her desk and said thoughtfully, "I haven't heard from 'the Kid' for a couple of days."

"He's been completing the cataloguing in Palpatine's secret room so that it can be cleared and the rest of the time he's been in various meetings, as far as I know," Leia murmured, accepting the proffered drink gratefully. "We can now turn that room over to the central transport system and it can become the turbo lift shaft it was supposed to be in the first place. I'll probably see Luke tomorrow."

"He's been in _meetings_?" Han said pursing his lips. "So that's what they call it these days. Meetings, eh! Still, I didn't know he had it in him."

Leia carefully placed her drink on her desk. "Call _what_ these days? Han, you're speaking in riddles."

"According to the security detail assigned to Jedi Skywalker…" Han broke off and frowned. "He's not going to be happy that you're having him followed."

"He'll never know," Leia dismissed.

"Oh, but I think he will," Han disagreed. "Jedi, remember?"

"He's not got the full security backup. There's an agent in the area close to his apartment which has been added to the grid and another when he's in a potentially vulnerable area."

"He won't be happy," Han predicted.

"It's standard procedure," Leia said shortly. "_I'm_ followed."

"Don't remind me. Karl and Chevin," Han said with a sneer.

"Luke won't be at all surprised when he does find out." Leia frowned at her fiancé. Han hated the extra security and tried to evade it on a daily basis even though it was for his own protection. He even got a kick out of doing it. But she couldn't quite work out what he had against Karl and Chevin. Han couldn't be with her _all_ the time. Her mind ran over what Han had just said. "He's not been on planet long enough to get into trouble – has he?" She closed her eyes and exhaled. "He's Luke. Of course, he's had time to get into trouble. Just tell me, please. What's Luke up to?"

Han smirked. "He was spotted escorting a certain attractive, but notably hostile, redhead to her apartment last night."

Leia sat up straight. "He was with a woman! Last night?"

"Yup," Han drawled.

There was only one red-headed woman that her brother knew as far as she was aware. "Mara Jade's back on Coruscant. That redhead?"

Han nodded. "Yup, that's the only redhead that the Kid is familiar with, to my knowledge. She arrived on Coruscant late last night."

Leia blinked. "_Late_ last night," she repeated. "And Luke met her at the spaceport?"

"Apparently so. He must have known that she was coming."

"He _knew _she was coming? Luke met her…"

"I think the guys tailing him are familiar with what your brother looks like by now. Medium-sized, fair-haired male, dressed in black, wears a lightsaber…" Han shrugged. "They met again this morning at the gym so he obviously didn't stay over."

"Han! Luke's not like that."

"What's wrong with being like that? He's a red-blooded male even if he is a Jedi." Han grimaced and sighed. "Yeah, yeah, you're probably right. I can't imagine him staying the night with Jade – I don't think I want to. I always got the impression that she didn't like him much."

"She didn't but Luke has probably changed her mind by now. He probably wanted a lightsaber sparring session. He has a room reserved for him to practice in." Leia sipped at her whisky, pleased at finding a plausible reason for Luke to be meeting Mara Jade. But she remembered her brother's return to Coruscant. He'd watched Mara Jade very carefully and Leia couldn't forget that Mara had done the same to Luke. They'd appeared quite civil towards one another. "She's very good with most types of weaponry – Imperial training saw to that. I did some work with her once at the gym and I suspect she could teach me quite a lot."

Han tilted his head to one side and looked at Leia knowingly. "Why don't you practice lightsaber sparring with Luke?" He could see her posture stiffen. "He would love it and it would be a good way to begin your Jedi training."

"I don't have a lightsaber," Leia excused coldly.

"You could have one easily. There are all those spares that came out of the secret room. I'm sure Luke wouldn't mind you using one of them. Their former owners are all long gone. I'm sure if you asked, he would even make you one. You are his favourite sister."

"I'm his only sister. I don't know how…"

"That's the point, Leia," Han argued, wondering why he thought that this was important. Leia didn't need this Jedi stuff the way that Luke did but it was part of her heritage. "Let Luke teach you. I'm certain that he wants to."

"I…" Leia opened and shut her mouth.

"Then he could practice with you and not some anti-social redhead who keeps issuing your poor defenceless brother death threats." Han grinned. "She visited him tonight in his apartment, according to the last security detail, and could still be there. They're spending an awful lot of time together for potential adversaries."

"She did?" Now Leia was really curious. Mara and Luke had been together for a time on Dagobah and also on the return journey to Coruscant. They owed Mara quite a lot for getting Luke home. However, the princess had not noticed any obvious thawing in Mara's attitude towards Luke apart from the fact that the pair of them had continually tried to watch one another. But then, her brother was still alive even after Mara had sworn to kill him and if anyone could change Mara Jade's opinion of Luke Skywalker, it would be the man himself.

"So what's he doing with the hostile redhead?" Han wondered aloud, pulling Leia from her seat and leading her into their comfortable lounge. "Give me your glass. It's empty."

Leia pursed her lips thoughtfully as she sat down. Han was right. This was atypical behaviour from her brother. Luke had met Mara Jade at the spaceport last night and then spent several hours with her since. She couldn't believe that they'd become so close in such a short period of time - especially with such an inauspicious beginning to their relationship. "Jedi things," she said suddenly. "It's the only explanation."

Han plonked himself next to his fiancée and passed her the refilled glass. "Jedi things," he repeated, nodding. "Yeah, that makes sense. You did think that she might be Force sensitive."

"I know that she is. Mara Jade _is_ Force sensitive," she said dismissively, wondering why she suddenly felt so relieved. "He wants to recruit and train Jedi. He wants me to train and if you had an ounce of Force ability, he'd want you as well. Of course he wants the same thing for Mara. She'll just be harder to persuade, that's all." Her brother wasn't about to go gallivanting around the galaxy with Mara Jade. He'd only just met her and Leia had just got him back. He wouldn't desert his sister now. "He wants her to learn Jedi skills, so he's teaching her. It's no secret that Luke wants to restart the Jedi Order and she's strong – very strong. In fact, she could be as powerful with the Force as he is. I can feel it."

Han watched the expressions flitting across Leia's beautiful face. He didn't need the Force to know that she was unsettled by something. "What's wrong?"

"He's teaching Mara," she said slowly as if the facts had finally sunk in. "They're really doing lightsaber drills and not just larking about in a ship hangar. Luke wouldn't do that now – not with his lightsaber. He's really serious about teaching her."

"And you're jealous?"

"Yes." Leia looked amazed and then horrified. "I shouldn't be that way. She isn't _family_ or anyone special." She glanced up at Han, her face ashamed. "I shouldn't be jealous of her – I like her. She could even become a friend. Mara Jade deserves to learn as much as any other Force-strong individual in the galaxy."

Han sighed and put his arm around her bringing her close. "You do realise that he probably started with her because _you_ wouldn't learn?"

Leia looked stricken. "Do you think so?"

Han took a gulp of amber liquid, swilling it around his taste buds. He'd never pandered to Leia's moods and he wasn't going to start doing it now. She needed the clear sightedness of truth and relied on him to give it. "Yes, I do. Although I bet he's not enjoying the teaching. That particular redhead strikes me as the argumentative type and that glare of hers could singe a man to death at twenty paces." He gave Leia a cheeky wink. "She'll challenge every word he says and then threaten him each time he does something she doesn't like."

Leia laughed weakly. "I suppose. He's instructing her in the Jedi arts and you think that she still wants to end his life? I don't think that she wants to kill him any more. Even I can see that her feelings for Luke have changed."

"If anyone could change her mind, Luke could," Han admitted, a frown wrinkling his forehead. It was all too possible. The Kid, in typical Luke fashion, would want to equip the woman who declared that her ultimate goal was the young Jedi's death, with more skills to add to her already impressive arsenal. It was a very Luke thing to do. "It's not too late for you to change your mind, Leia. Luke would love to give you some instruction and I think it would be beneficial from a self-defence point of view."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to try."

"You have to accept who you are sooner or later, Leia," Han said softly. "You know it and Luke knows it. I'm surprised he hasn't pressed you more on the subject."

"Because I won't let him," Leia cried bitterly. "I refuse to talk about it…I can't."

"One day you will have to and that day is coming sooner than you want it to. I'm right, aren't I?"

"Yes," she whispered. "And I still can't…"

"Then ask him about a lightsaber instead. I think he'll understand what you are trying to say. He's gone all wise on us."

"He's a Jedi," Leia said softly. As she said those words, there came a new understanding of the man her brother had become. "He truly is a Jedi and if he wants to try and teach Mara Jade, then we must support him in that decision."

"I wouldn't like to be there," Han said, grinning. "If he's still with her, they're probably arguing as we speak. Still, we have to support him in his lunacy."

"The Inner Council are searching for a place where Luke can instruct the next generation of Force strong individuals."

"On Coruscant?" Han looked doubtful.

Leia sighed deeply. "We started thinking about places on Coruscant but there's nowhere secluded enough with the kind of terrain he would favour and he really doesn't like it here, does he?"

"No. The new Jedi would never get a moment's peace – Luke wouldn't get any peace. There would be people out to control what they didn't understand. He wants independence and for the Jedi to succeed, he needs to get it."

"Yes," Leia said dryly. "I think the Inner Council is beginning to get that message including even Borsk Fey'lya."

"I heard about the argument with General Cracken, too. Good for Luke." Han chuckled. "It's about someone stood up to Airen…apart from me, that is."

"We now have a possible location," Leia said carefully. "It was decided upon today. Luke is to be consulted about it tomorrow."

"Where?" Han sat up.

His fiancée shook her head and smiled. "I can't say until we've spoken with Luke but I think he'll be pleased with the offer."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Luke's apartment**

Luke wound his arms around Mara and deepened their kiss, their mouths parting sensuously. She felt so good in his arms and the taste of her lips on his was…heaven. There was no other word to describe it. She was difficult, moody, fiery, unpredictable, passionate and she felt like _his._ She'd unknowingly called out to him across the entire galaxy and he'd known they belonged together from the first moment they had met. However, knowing was one thing and accepting was another. The boa-wood box was forgotten. Any issues they may have had with one another fled out of the viewport as they learned the contours of one another's bodies. Luke's hand lifted and gently cupped one of Mara's soft breasts. When there was no objection, his hand began to knead more firmly.

Mara broke away from Luke's kiss to gasp as a streak of fire shot through her body. She'd never experienced this level of feeling before. She was ready for him with little more than a touch.

"Force, Skywalker…" she moaned.

Luke's head dipped closer once more, and a sly smile touched his lips. "Do you want me to stop?" His hand moved again over her breast and her nipples peaked under her clothing, sending a dart of fire straight to her core.

"No…don't stop."

"Are you sure," he drawled.

Mara could only groan as his hand slipped beneath her tunic and began to ease its way under the rest of her clothing. "Get on with it, Skywalker," she gritted impatiently.

"It's Luke," he murmured, his lips finding the sweet pulse point at her neck.

"What!"

"Luke…My name is Luke. We went over this yesterday."

Mara was incapable of moaning little more than an affirmative as his clever fingers continued to caress her. "I know that…Luke."

With a groan, he kissed his way around the curve of her jaw and her head tipped back allowing him greater access to the soft flesh. For a moment her thoughts turned to Palpatine and wondered what he would make of this situation and then she dismissed her former master from her mind altogether. He was gone forever.

Luke's questing fingers found their unerring way to the fastenings of her tunic, slipping it from her shoulders and letting it fall onto the floor. His fingers traced the shape of her collarbone and then slipped beneath the fabric of her under tunic so he could enjoy the sensation of her soft skin. If he was going to stop it would have to be now and Luke wasn't sure that he had the strength of will.

Breathing heavily, Luke stepped away from Mara and extended his hand towards her.

Mara stood uncertainly in the middle of the lounge, blinking at the sudden change in the situation, her heart thumping loudly inside her chest.

"Is it too soon?" Luke asked, his voice emerging painfully from a very dry throat as he gathered his courage. "Is this a step we're ready to take? Are we being reckless or is this where we move forward together…away from our past lives?"

Mara swallowed with difficulty, her eyes glued to those of the man in front of her. He had a point and she could tell by looking at him how hard he was finding this. She glanced down at the Jedi's groin and snapped her gaze straight back up to his face. Yes, he was finding it very hard indeed. "I thought that the word 'reckless' was part of your make up," she said huskily, her voice low. She moved forward, closer to his still outstretched hand. She wanted to take it.

"This matters too much to me, Mara. You matter too much to me," he admitted.

Mara inched towards him again. Could he sense that her blood was burning for him? He'd lit a fire inside her and only he could quench the desire. She noticed his hand trembling – his left hand – his real one.

"I feel your need," he whispered. "It matches my own."

"It does?" She felt as if she was in a sensual haze of his making.

"Use the Force, Mara," he instructed. "For us there can be no other way. It will tell you what my feelings for you are. We need to be nourished by those of our own kind. We both need to stop hiding."

"Hiding?"

"You've hidden from the Force – from who you're supposed to be and I…" He hesitated for a moment before continuing in a much stronger voice, "I've hidden from leading the Jedi into the future. I can't do it on my own. No one can. But anything is possible with you beside me."

Mara closed her eyes and consciously sought the power she had within her and as it rose to meet Luke's the sensation was wonderful. She opened her eyes and smiled at him, her desire visible on her face. "Reckless it is then," she murmured. "Who would have thought it?"

"I hoped," he said, a smile lighting up his face.

Mara lifted her own hand and firmly grasped Luke's. The smiles vanished as Luke led Mara to his bed.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**Jedi Temple site – Coruscant**

The hour was growing late. It was almost too dark to see what was happening any more and yet the site of the former Jedi Temple was crowded with tourists of all shapes, sizes and species.

"We've been here for the vast part of two days," Kelt said angrily. "And still no sign of Skywalker. I thought you said this would draw him out?"

Kam merely shrugged. "Patience, Kelt," he murmured mildly. "I said it was a plan and might work. Nothing is foolproof. He may be unable to come here for some reason or another." He angled the glow rod fixed over his working area and continued to sort the broken pieces of pottery in the box he'd been assigned.

"Patience!" the younger man exclaimed. "We've been more than patient."

"Not patient enough," Kam said with studied calm. "To become a Jedi Knight you are going to have to exhibit more fortitude than the amount you have shown me so far."

"Kam," a feminine voice said reproachfully. "Do you have to be so…"

The Jedi's gaze turned to meet Tionne's silvery eyes. "Do I have to be what?"

"So hard," she said finally.

"That is the life of a Jedi, my dear," he murmured. "It's not an easy life and being patient is at its heart. I do not mean to be 'hard' as you say. My father, who trained me, was far stricter than I am with Kelt, and I was a child."

"You are the trained Jedi amongst us," she acknowledged, slipping her arm through Kelt's and giving him an affectionate squeeze. "But…"

"And I'm not," Kelt muttered sulkily.

"Well, yes," Tionne said, her smooth forehead wrinkling in a frown. "You're not." She could sense the discord between Kam and Kelt yet again and sought to be the peacemaker. It had settled down of late, but there were times when the two intractable men still butted heads. "Neither Kelt nor I are Jedi yet," she murmured. "We were not brought up dealing with that way of life and have to learn in a different way. Patience should be paired with tolerance."

"He'll never be a Jedi if he doesn't stop acting like a child," Kam chided.

"Do you have to be so patronising?" Kelt hissed.

"You're an adult, not a boy."

"Yet you speak to me as if I was a child," Kelt protested. "You're not perfect either, Master Solusar. What gives you the right to judge me so harshly?"

Kam opened and shut his mouth, his whole body rigid. "I'm sorry," he said stiffly. "Do not call me 'Master'. It is not an honour I earned."

Tionne could have wept with frustration. Both of her men were too stubborn and all this waiting didn't make proud tempers less volatile. "Kam…"

"We have to wait," Kam said. "I can feel the power growing and connecting around me. I daren't access it fully - not yet. It's too dangerous. If it wants me to move onwards, the Force will eventually give me a sign."

"I feel it too," Tionne said, her eyes wide with wonder. "I sense life and learning. Being in this place has fulfilled many dreams for me."

"I can feel sadness," Kelt said abruptly. "Sadness, hatred, fear. It's not all happiness, songs and bits of Jedi pottery, Tionne." This wasn't turning out the way he had hoped at all. He'd expected Skywalker to walk up to them the minute they'd set foot on the site. It hadn't happened. Perhaps Kam was right and he was being childish but he wanted to move out of the limbo that he was in. He wanted to push away the hurt that wouldn't dissipate and had become so much a part of him. He wanted to do all that and make his grandmother proud and live again for her.

Kam dispassionately examined a decorated triangle of earthenware. "Of course there is darkness here. The Jedi temple met a violent and tragic end. Many were killed including children younger than I was at the time. They were slaughtered in cold blood. The past leaves a terrible stain on its surroundings."

Tionne shivered. "It's so sad. So much was lost and will never be recovered." The historian in her grieved for the loss of such a rich heritage that would never be fully recovered. Palpatine and Vader had seen to that. It was up to people like her and Skywalker to ensure that the remaining Jedi heritage survived.

"We've been on Coruscant for months," Kelt complained.

"And we might not be here for much longer if I don't get to work."

Kam had arrived at the site the day before, had spotted Professor Malik working with some of the university staff and had asked if there was any work. Malik had been second-in-charge of the Kaellin III dig and should remember him. Kam had reckoned that it was worth a try. The rotund Professor _had_ remembered Kam as a good and reliable worker and had engaged him immediately. There wasn't much work to be had - just a week or so - but it was something concrete and gave the former Jedi a good reason to be there without drawing undue attention to himself.

"You must be finishing soon. It's getting late," Tionne said quietly.

"I just need to complete this batch of pottery and then…" He looked up, something drawing his attention. "…we can go."

Doctor Folla Rule, the head archaeologist and the woman in charge of the entire operation, was walking towards them, accompanied by two bodyguards.

"Tionne, take Kelt and make yourselves scarce for the next twenty minutes. By then I should be finished." He watched the archaeologist come closer and something tugged at his senses. She felt different than before. He felt his contained Force sense buzz weirdly inside his head. It reminded him of how he'd felt during the Clone Wars when he'd had to be near any of the cloned troopers. Strange, he'd almost forgotten the feeling. He risked reaching out towards her…just a light brush.

The archaeologist's head lifted as if something had disturbed her.

"Tionne, could you go back to the ship?" Kam requested quietly, a furrow of worry appearing on his forehead. "Now."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Just do it." He'd worked well with Doctor Rule on Kaellin III, although she hadn't had very much to do with him in particular. He'd been an unskilled labourer for her to order around without really noticing. This was a good thing, as he hadn't wanted to be noticed, just employed. However, she'd changed since they last met, he thought, as he bent his head studiously over the tray of broken earthenware. There was something different about her and he couldn't explain what it was. It could be because he was seeing her on Coruscant rather than digging around in an abandoned temple on a third rate planet.

Before, he had been sure she didn't have any real Force ability but now, he wasn't convinced that she didn't have. Perhaps he'd been too distracted the last time and he hadn't read the signs correctly. If he was being honest, he hadn't been looking for Force sentients – rather the opposite.

Tionne tugged at Kelt's sleeve and shook her head at him when he opened his mouth to argue. "No, let's go. You and Kam have argued enough for one evening." Pulling Kelt with her, she moved quickly away from the work area and stopped behind what must have once been an enormous pillar. It was still taller than Tionne.

"Tionne," Kelt whined, moving back towards Kam's position.

"He told us to go. He should be working and we're distracting him."

"Oh, alright." Kelt turned and retreated behind the pillar with Tionne.

"Tionne," Kelt whined, moving back towards Kam's position.

"He told us to go. He should be working and we're distracting him."

"Oh, alright." Kelt turned retreated behind the pillar with Tionne.

"I would like to meet Doctor Rule as much as you," she said excitedly. "She's one of the galaxy's foremost experts on the Jedi. The things she would be able to tell me."

"I'm sure she could tell you…" The young man suddenly clutched at his head.

"Kelt! What is it?" Tionne saw the spasm of pain cross his face.

"I…I don't know." He closed his eyes. "She feels wrong. The people with her feel wrong. I don't know why but they do."

"Wrong?" Tionne peered around the pillar and saw the woman and her following group heading towards Kam's workstation. Tionne knew she wasn't as strong in the Force as Kelt or Kam. How could a woman feel 'wrong'? She moved back behind the pillar, her face concerned as she glanced at Kelt. The younger man's face was pale and he was gasping for air as if he'd been taking part in one of Kam's training runs.

Kelt reached out and grabbed Tionne's arm. "I have to get away from here."

"Ow!" Tionne tried to prise Kelt's fingers off her arm. "Kelt!" She shook herself free and peered around the pillar once more. Kam was speaking to the woman and as he lifted his head, their eyes caught and held. She didn't need to be a mind reader to recognise the message his eyes were giving her.

"Go!" he mouthed. '_Get out of here…now!'_

_**xxxxx**_

"Kam!" Folla Rule, looking businesslike in a smart navy work-tunic and boots, her dark hair in its customary stylish chignon, swept up to his position. "It's good to see you again."

The Jedi gave the archaeologist a polite smile. "Likewise, Doctor Rule," he said. "I was travelling in the area and heard of your need of temporary workers with possible experience. Permanent work doesn't suit me and this type of transient employment is suitable for my needs. I also remembered your kind offer of work if I was ever close to one of your projects."

"Then it is good that you were available to help us. Have you found anything interesting?"

Kam shook his head. "Unfortunately not. Basic domestic ware only," he said and as he lifted his head and glanced past the archaeologist, he caught sight of Tionne's silvery hair as she peeped around the pillar.

"Ah, yes. Even the Jedi had to eat." She smiled but Kam could see that her attention had changed its focus and was no longer on him and his worthless pieces of pottery. Something elusive nagged at him but in this place which held so many memories of pain and regret, accessing his emotions and reaching out with the Force threatened to overwhelm him. It was difficult to focus on the small details, the quiet whisper of sound, when everything else around him was shouting so loud.

Did this woman have Jedi potential? She'd worked close to Palpatine for years and there had been no whispers of her being Force-gifted. His former master would surely have noticed if that was the case. She'd risen to prominence against all the odds – a woman in a male dominated society. Yet, there had been talk of her brilliance. He'd assumed that she was just too good at her job. If she was a Force sentient it would explain her interest in the Jedi culture.

Kam wasn't ready for this – he had never been ready. His hand dug into the box of pottery and gripped a piece so hard that it broke into pieces. Hell, this was ridiculous. He could tell the good Doctor and her staff that there would be nothing for them to find here unless the Force willed it. He was not optimistic. Anything of value had been cleared out long ago and perhaps that was a good thing.

_**xxxxxx**_

Tionne had heard of Doctor Folla Rule long before she'd met Kam and Kelt. If you had any interest in Jedi history it was inevitable that you would have read about the daring exploits of this romantic figure as she worked to save valuable artefacts for the Empire. She watched from her hidden vantage point from behind the pillar as the archaeologist approached his workstation. Kam and Folla Rule were of an age and had similar interests – as do I, she thought. What would Doctor Rule give to know she had the genuine article standing before her – a real Jedi? But Kam had told no one of his Jedi heritage apart from Tionne and Kelt.

Kelt! She turned again to check on the younger man and her forehead creased with concern. Something was wrong with Kelt. He slumped against the pillar as if his legs were unable to support him. "I think Kam was right," she said. "We should go back to the ship and wait for him there."

To her consternation, Kelt only nodded, his face pale and his eyes fevered. "Yeah, let's go," he muttered hoarsely. "I don't want to stay here now."

Tionne peered around the pillar one last time and again caught Kam's wary gaze. "Go," he mouthed. He could feel waves of the Force radiating out towards him from Kelt's position and it was obvious that Folla Rule had felt it too.

"Excuse me a moment, Kam." She produced a data writer, and tapped in some information before handing it to one of her security detail.

The Clone's eyes widened at the words written on the screen. '_We have Force users close by.' "_Find these people," she ordered crisply. "I would like to talk to them." The archaeologist flicked a finger in the direction of Tionne and Kelt's hiding place and the bodyguards made a move towards the pillar.

This was a development he had not expected and he didn't think he liked it one bit. Why did Folla Rule want to find Kelt and Tionne? That was who she had meant.

He had to warn them. Kam wasn't certain that this would work - neither Tionne nor Kelt were trained - but shouting would only draw attention to him as well and that was something he did not want to happen. He was close to Tionne; he could feel a connection to her. It might be enough.

'_Get out of here…Now!' _he sent as firmly as he could and was rewarded by the sight of a head of silver hair disappearing into a crowd of tourists heading towards the airbus stand as the vessel drew into place.

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Tionne heard Kam's words inside her head and didn't question how he'd managed it. She just trusted in the actions of the Jedi. She had to get Kelt out of there. He was pale and disoriented, his fingers clammy against hers as she pulled him into the middle of a group of tourists making their way onto the waiting airbus. She could sense the searching minds of others and burrowed deeper into the middle of the crowd.

'Please open the doors', she thought. 'Please.' And her wish was granted as the airbus doors finally slid aside.

"Move," she ordered Kelt. "Hurry." Pushing ahead through the crowd, she moved to the farthest end of the airbus pulling her stumbling companion with her and finally shoved him into a vacant seat.

"Tionne!"

"Ssh!" She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head.

"She feels wrong… How do I know that?" Kelt whispered. "The people with her made my head buzz. It was…strange. Who is she?"

"Haven't you seen her before?" Tionne asked curiously. She, too, had felt slightly strange. Kelt was right; it was as if there was something interfering with her thinking processes.

"No, how could I have seen her before?" Kelt hissed back. "I don't know who she is but she does seem familiar."

"She's Folla Rule." Tionne couldn't understand why anyone with an interest in the Jedi didn't know who this woman was until she realised that Kelt's grandmother had hidden all traces of her past because of the danger to her family. Interest in the Jedi would have been actively discouraged.

"The Jedi expert?" Kelt pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger as if to stave off a headache. Tionne and Kam had mentioned her several times.

"Yes. That's why she was speaking to Kam. He worked for her before." She eyed the younger man with concern.

"How could I know her?" He shrugged. "I must have seen her on some holo programme but she _felt_ familiar," he said thoughtfully. "That's completely different from seeing her on some old holo."

Tionne glanced over her shoulders as something made her turn her head and there they were - the two guards that had accompanied the archaeologist moving through the transport. Were they searching for her and Kelt? She watched as one of the guards roughly grabbed the shoulder of a blond-haired female and moments later let the woman go. They were coming closer - what was she going to do? Kelt didn't look as if he was going to be much help. He sat hunched in the seat beside her.

"Kelt!" Tionne placed her arms around his neck and quickly leaned forward, kissing him gently on the lips.

When she finally drew away, Kelt gave her a bemused little smile. "While that was very nice," he murmured softly, "I know it's not me that you're interested in. What was it for?"

Tionne blushed. "Sorry," she said, bringing her forehead to rest against Kelt's and gradually manoeuvring them until she could see the aisle between the seats. Folla Rule's guards were making their way off the transport at the other end. "They've gone," she said.

"Ah! Now I do see." Kelt managed a shaky grin. Normal colour had almost returned to his face but his hands were still shaking slightly. "I won't tell Master Solusar that you kissed me. I hope Kam realises what he has."

Tionne's blush deepened. "They were looking for us," she said quietly. "I'm not sure why and I couldn't think what else to do."

"You did well," he said. "I wasn't in any state to think clearly. But why do you think they were looking for us? We're not important."

"Someone killed your family, Kelt," she reminded him. "And when you saw Folla Rule you reacted. I felt it. The Force – it was so strong. Just like the way Kam sometimes is."

"Perhaps it was that particular place that brought the power out of us."

"Amplified it?" Tionne nodded. "I could see how that would be a possibility but you're strong in the Force – very strong."

"If there are people looking for us for no reason at all, we need to see Skywalker immediately," Kelt declared. "But how? We've been here for weeks already and we've had absolutely no luck."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Luke Skywalker lifted his head from his pillow as the wave of Force energy touched and shaped the lines of the Force. He'd judged it correctly, he thought. His little group of future Jedi Knights were awakening their power and it was time to bring them together. That was why he had sent Artoo to the spaceport to find the ship. The little droid would be less threatening than Luke Skywalker would be. His eyes drifted to the woman sleeping beside him, her red-gold hair spilling across her creamy shoulders over the white quilt. She hadn't felt the disturbance but she was not yet attuned to every shifting pattern and shape in the Force.

One day she would be. Mara Jade would become a powerful Jedi Knight. But more important than that, he loved her and someday, he might even be able to tell her. Since the moment he'd pulled the dark shadow from her mind, he had known that they belonged together. However, knowing and accepting were two different things altogether.

Her eyelashes flickered and he found himself gazing into her clear green eyes. "Hello," he whispered, a smile touching his mouth.

"Hello," she whispered back.

"I'm sorry if I woke you."

"You didn't but I sensed that you were thinking a lot."

"You sensed that?" he murmured stupidly.

Her lips curved. "No," she admitted. "I just know you."

"So you do," he agreed. It was peaceful and cleansing lying together after the passionate coupling that had taken place earlier. This was deeper than a sexual encounter. Being together strengthened the bond that was already there. "I felt something in the Force earlier."

"And I did not?"

"You were sleeping." His voice deepened. "Very beautiful you were, too."

"Luke!" Mara pulled the quilt firmly over her breasts. "What did you feel?"

"A burst of power," he said thoughtfully.

"Solusar?" Mara asked, intrigued. "I wouldn't have thought that he would be so careless."

"No, this was raw…untutored." Luke's eyes glittered in the darkened room. "It wasn't Solusar. I've sensed his presence."

"The younger man," Mara concluded.

"Yes, I think so. I've sent Artoo to them as an emissary."

"Was that wise?"

"I would trust Artoo with my life and theirs. Besides, I plan to join him. It's time we had a formal introduction."

"What time is it?" Mara asked, moving closer to Luke, her lips inches from his.

"It's still dark," he said, never taking his gaze from hers. "I'm not going to join Artoo quite yet."

"Then we've still got time…"

"To do this?" Luke moved the necessary distance and covered her lips with his. "Yes…"

22


End file.
